


Arachnid

by Doceo_Percepto



Series: NSFW Little Nightmares II [7]
Category: Little Nightmares (Video Game)
Genre: A Little Bit Of Crack, A Touch of Comedy, Arachnid!Six, Arachnophobia, Biting, Bonding, Breeding Kink, Cannibalism, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Extreme Sexual Dimorphism, F/M, Fun Times at the Beach, Getting Domestic with a Spider, Gore, Heavy Petting, Horror, Hurt/Comfort, Inaccuracies to spider biology, Orgasm, Runaway Kid is here briefly, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Very AU, Web-Spinning, but he's called Arkay, clitoral stimulation, wound care, yep it's getting nsfw again
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:35:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 29,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28005501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Doceo_Percepto/pseuds/Doceo_Percepto
Summary: Male humans vie for the opportunity to mate with monstrous arachnid females, ideally without getting eaten. Six is the most monstrous of the monsters, but Mono won’t let that stop him for long.
Relationships: Mono/Six (Little Nightmares)
Series: NSFW Little Nightmares II [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2074623
Comments: 295
Kudos: 654





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Art courtesy of Sp00py!
> 
> Story inspired by that figure Tarsier released ages ago, except I gave Six 4 more limbs.

Six was a name well known, but deeply feared. Voices spoke of it only in hushed tones lest she somehow hear it, and find them. Those who shared the rumors held a great fear, but also a great _awe_. Mono heard them from when he was a very young boy, and the tales trailed him into his early teen years. The kinds of feelings they inspired in him were impossible to describe, but one could easily guess their nature. In fact, he knew he wasn’t alone, when he saw the faces of other boys just as keen, just as vivid, letting wild fantasies get the better of them. 

Wild they were. Most boys eventually shed those fantasies in favor of reality: Six was the most monstrous, but there were plenty other monsters to choose from. Ones less dangerous. Ones more approachable. Ones more susceptible to mating. 

Keep things reasonable. Keep yourself alive. Dream, sure, but don’t try to make those dreams reality. Those became common themes that Mono heard, and nobody was foolish enough to seek out Six. Better leave her and her reported nest of carcasses be, unless you wanted to join the dead. 

Mono, though… Mono could not so easily move on. The fantasy clung in his brain like the roots of a great oak tree wormed into his grey matter. Six. _Six._

Eight limbed, many jointed, sharp toothed. With a death count surpassing any competitors, and the ability to hold her own against any that challenged her. What monster was better equipped to carry offspring? What monster more capable of defending herself, and her kin? The answer, of course, was none. Six was the ideal mate. 

The catch? You had to survive long enough to impregnate her. Mating was always a risk, of course, with any monster. Human males did their best to earn the females’ favor, and mate without getting devoured. Gifts and attention showering advanced those endeavors. But some were more receptive than others, or less dangerous. 

Six was both dangerous and unreceptive, a suicidal combination. 

So Mono told himself to move on, like everyone else did, and accept what was possible versus what was absurd. He told himself to settle for lesser monsters, ones less likely to make him their lunch. Just like everyone else said to do. He told himself these things, but he couldn't get himself to do them. He wanted Six. He dreamed about her. Since he’d never met her, his dreams filled his head with foggy half-formed images composed mostly of darkness, teeth and legs. 

He inevitably woke up hard, with an ache low low in his belly. His hand wasn’t the same. He needed _her_. It took many years of torment and vacillation before he resolved that this wasn’t something he could wish away. Wasn’t something he could leave behind. He had to mate someone, else he’d end up dead in a few years time with nothing to say for it at all. And he couldn't just mate anyone: it had to be Six. 

Coming to that conclusion was paralyzingly terrifying, but once he had, he couldn't shake his conviction. He was going to find her. And he would mate her, or die trying. He sought any scrap of rumor about her location; he scoured through every story or song; he asked any wayward traveler. He was on a single minded mission, and it consumed his every action, until he fell into a numb sort of fugue, drifting from one task to the next with half his brain (the half that contained fear) far far away, only a distant knot of tension warning him, pleading with him, begging that survival was more important than this. Imagine how many monsters he might mate with if he chose not pursue Six! Imagine how many offspring he could father! It was the greatest achievement, the greatest pride, ensuring the survival of his species and enabling the next generation to come. 

But reason spoke to him only under a muffled cover. Little by little, he hunted every lead he had to find her, as it was hard parsing out fact from fiction in the tales people told. Each new location he’d scout, wondering what might give away her presence.

It was a silly question to ask. When he found her lair at last, he realized just how silly. 

She had no reason to hide, or be wary. She had no reason to make herself difficult to find; it was merely the misleading information and fabricated stories that had mixed in with the truth that had disguised her thus far from him. But her home made it obvious, and he knew as soon as he saw it. 

First, the absolute crater of annihilated treescape. Second, the webbed ground a mile in diameter. Third, the huge jagged structure squatting in the center of the crater; something so thickly coated in white webbing that it looked like the softest place to recline. 

Mono wiped his sweaty hands on his cloak, reminded himself once more that he was an idiot, and then headed straight for her nest. The ground beneath his feet sloped up up up, at steeper and steeper angles until he was veritably climbing his way up. Strands of webbing clung to his hands, feet, and clothing as he ascended, more than once bringing him to a halt to pull them off in the way he’d been taught. Although he’d been well prepared for the stickiness of webbing, more than once he had to steady his breathing and settle the rising pressure to panic. 

_You came all this way. You’re here for a reason. You have to do what you came for, or all this will have been nothing._

So he pressed on. Climbing higher, higher, higher, up until he reached the precipice: the edge of a large nest shaped not unlike a bowl. Up here he bent double, already sweaty and exhausted, to catch his breath. 

If he hoped to relax after that climb, though, he was out of luck. Because in the center of the nest was an enormous, many limbed creature clad in deceptive bright yellow. She was half turned away from him, coal black hair draping in long, untamed locks to obscure her face. He only heard a soft clicking, and the sound of something wet and sticky being pulled apart, glued together, pulled apart, again and again. Two hands weaved rhythmically near her face. Another held down a writhing body, dwarfed beneath her magnitude. Three more limbs kept her braced in the slightly concave center of the nest, while two other appendages, the only bearing resemblance to human legs rather than arms, were tucked neatly under her in a semi-squat. Every single limb possessed a grotesque number of joints.

Mono held his breath, frozen in place by the sight of her. Alarm bells rang like klaxons in his head to get away, _run_ , before she found him, but there was no chance he would. He knew that in the moment more certainly than he’d ever known it before. Now that he had seen her, he had to try. Even if it killed him. But how best to get her attention? How best to win her favor? 

A gentle, nonthreatening approach - that would be a good first step. 

Mono went to take that first step, only for his foot to snag in webbing, and -

“ _Oof_!” He came down hard on his shoulder. He flailed and struggled his way back to his feet, tossing his cloak which was too webbed up, but it was too late: Six had already noticed him.

Her giant head raised, and venomous yellow eyes appeared between the slits of her black hair. Beneath those vivid eyes, a wide, grinning mouth, lined with far too many sharp and glittering teeth. Silky white strands were drawn taunt between those teeth, the other ends wound around the human squirming in her grip. The last human to attempt to earn her favor, Mono assumed. Maybe it was good someone had tried so recently. Maybe that meant she had one meal, ready to serve, and wouldn't be so inclined to another. 

Her eyes surveyed him up and down, making him feel raw and exposed, naked even while wearing his cloak, shirt, and pants. Her grin only widened, splitting her face practically in half. He swallowed hard. That mouth could swallow him whole without the slightest effort. 

Mono took an unconscious step back. “H-hi.” His voice sounded raspy and weak in the air, almost comical before something like her. Evidently, she felt the same way, as she let out a rumbling snort that may have been a laugh. 

Her teeth clamped upon the silvery webbing between her lips, snapping it and letting the feathery ends flutter down like gossamer. The motion was frighteningly final. As if to say, ‘yes, I’m done with this for now. Now my attention will be on you.’ The struggles of her half-wrapped prey heightened as he saw an opportunity to escape. Up until, without Six even looking at him, she smashed him under one of her hind hands. The low crunching noise had Mono flinching. When she moved her hand off, the body bound in webbing was no longer moving.

Ah. Okay. 

She already had one meal primed and ready to go. Now she was curious about a second. She shook her mane of hair further out of her eyes. Her enormous body shifted as she turned toward him and got more comfortable, and then she settled herself down, many many limbs folding beneath her. The final, uppermost two folded their hands under her chin. With a close-lipped smile (lips bulging faintly from the size of her teeth), she made a show of watching him. Spectating. 

Right.

She knew why people came to her nest. She was used to being entertained. Others that had pursued her came equipped with lots of experience: lots of practice on their own displays and rituals, and lots of time to improve and perfect upon the process. Mono had no experience. He’d never felt so humiliatingly inadequate, and his face immediately flushed bright red. All this time, planning, deliberating, second guessing himself. All this time and he hadn’t thought of what he could do to please her. Ideas had crossed his mind sure, and he’d watched a fair share of performances to get an idea of the thing, but…

Whenever he’d tried to design his own, nothing felt good enough. Six was Six, and she must’ve seen it all and found it wanting. So he promised again and again he’d come up with something good, something novel, and be ready before meeting her, but… Each time he’d tried, he was plagued by uncertainty, doubting himself, doubting his ability to conjure anything that she’d find appealing. Now here he was, with nothing. What dance, what gift, what _anything_ would garner her interest?

While Mono stood and sweated in place, her eyebrows arched in a demeaning sort of playfulness. 

_Well?_ She seemed to say expectantly, _don’t you have something to show?_

“Hah…” Mono glanced away, back to the forest, back to freedom, safety. Six jerked in the corner of his eye and he flung his gaze back swiftly, heart thundering into overdrive, because quick movements could mean death. 

Sure enough her head had raised and her eyes were flashing with warning. If he was going to bolt, she was going to chase, and that would be that. 

“W-wait wait wait wait-“ Mono waved his hands, like a simple gesture would keep her off, but she paused, tilting her head slightly. That rich black hair slid off her shoulder and he forced himself to not be distracted by it - there was no way she’d ever let him touch it. “I - I do have something…”

His hands dove into his pockets, digging around. Fingers curled around cool silver. Right. His lighter. One of his most prized possessions. The lighter…

Monsters lived on the outskirts of cities, often in secluded areas. They had very little exposure to the technology developed within safe havens. Very little knowledge about what humans created. A lighter would be novel to her, wouldn't it? Something she hadn’t seen before, unlike the elaborate dances and rituals other males had performed for her; rituals that evidently had bored her. 

Mouth dry, Mono dared speak again, “I… I see that you’re very curious…” Though lying was frequently employed in these situations, Mono didn’t want to pretend that he had planned the lighter thing, and he wasn’t going to say that he had. “I didn’t know what to bring,” he confessed, hoping against all hope that his numb noodle-like legs would keep supporting his weight while terrified tremors ran up and down his spine. “You must have seen everything by this point. Every stupid dance. Every routine. Every kind word.”

For a moment he paused, having a fraction of sympathy. Six had indeed received many suitors, and it must be somewhat tiring, putting up with every show they wanted to give. The sympathy didn’t stay long though: at the end of the day, those suitors ended up her meal, while she nestled down content and well-fed. 

Mono licked his lips. “It doesn’t seem like you care much for any of that.” It was strange, how it took coming to her lair and meeting her for that to really solidly click in his head. Now that it had, he felt more certain of his decision not to do as others had. “So…” he lifted his head, and dared to meet those venomous-looking eyes. “Maybe instead, you’d like something of mine?”

She didn’t say or do anything to indicate her mood. Which could either be very good or very bad. 

Shakily, Mono held up the lighter. “Have you seen one of these before?”

She leaned in, and Mono’s heart skipped a beat, his breath catching in his lungs. She was interested! At least enough to get a closer look. Of course, that closer look meant her huge mouth was now within two feet of him, and it took all his strength and willpower (and not an insignificant amount of his arousal) to keep the lighter aloft for her perusal. 

She reached out with long, spindly fingers to touch it, but Mono skittered several steps back. “Ah - first I have to show you how to work it.”

Her yellow eyes slid to meet his, and he sent a small prayer to whatever god didn’t exist that he’d managed to stay alive this long. She _was_ curious. She wanted to know what this tiny silvery square did. That was very, very good. 

“It creates fire. S-See?” His thumb rolled over the serrated wheel. A click and _fwish!_ a tiny flame appeared. It danced in the reflection of her eyes. 

A soft murmur of intrigue. Again she reached for it; again he stepped deftly away (shaking off the web that tried to snare him). Although she easily could have followed and wrested the lighter from his grip, she waited. Once again her attention diverted to him to see what it was he was going to say or do next.

“I’ll give it to you,” he assured her. “But you have to be careful.” The plastic was something she could easily crush, spilling the lighter fluid. And the flame was something that easily could make a disaster for her. He trusted she was clever, but someone unfamiliar with fire may not have learned caution around it. 

“Look.” Again he lit it, and this time, gritting his teeth, he passed his pinkie finger through the flames. No damage, not with how fast he swiped it through. The second time, his self control (if not his self preservation) kicked in, and he passed his skin through the fire slower. Air seethed through his teeth, but he had what he wanted - a very clear angry red line where the fire had touched. “See?”

He held it up for her perusal, and singularly enjoyed her intense survey of his burn. “It wounds. And it can spread and grow and burn everything, if you’re not careful. Um - do you like it?”

Her eyes crinkled in delight. An item that was pretty, but could also do harm. Her huge hand swooped toward him demandingly. With a squeak, Mono dropped the lighter in her palm. There was a twinge of regret in his chest - the lighter had been with him for many years now, and he’d relied on it in many a situation. Now he was not going to get it back; there was no doubt of that. 

But Six settled back into the center of her nest, newly acquired gift held appreciatively before her face, and she instantly set about trying to light it. The trouble, of course, was its tiny size compared to her breadth. It was a determined, contemplative look that settled on Six’s face. One way or another, that face said, she’d get it to light. 

Mono swallowed hard. He hoped he hadn’t just given Six the tool to her own destruction. 

“Just - just remember to be careful?” He tried to remind her. Nope, Six was absorbed in her activity, and it seemed she was figuring out fast how to get the thing to light. 

Okay okay. So far so good, all things considered. She was distracted and entertained, even if it was in… a more unconventional way than usual. A distracted monster was a more patient one. 

Was it too soon to approach? Should he conjure up something else she’d like? No, she was engrossed in the lighter, what better time than now? If he waited too long deliberating, then he’d lose his chance! He just hadn’t expected it to be that easy; the lighter was very much a last minute choice. It seemed so lazy compared to the elaborate things he could have done, like others did. Then again, what they did hadn’t exactly worked…

Mono yanked on his hair and gritted his teeth. Yes okay go go. If he didn’t now, it might be too late later.

He took a step down, and yet again nearly went tumbling head over heels. Balance. Balance. And careful of that webbing. Little by little he inched down towards the heart of the nest; towards Six. A few times her eyes flitted to him, and the warning in every line of her body reminded him that she knew well what he was intending, and if he did anything she didn’t like, or if she merely tired of his presence, she’d readily kill him. 

“Real comforting,” he breathed under his breath, and was surprised when Six laughed. 

Oookay. At least she found him funny. As scary as everything up to this point had been, this was actually the worst part - because it was the part most up to the capriciousness of the monster. You could have the best song and dance routine in the world, only to make it here and get eaten based on their ever shifting whims. Still he heard _click click click_ from the lighter. Occasionally, a soft _fwoom_. She was figuring it out. Getting the flame that she wanted to watch. 

Mono hoped that didn’t mean something bad - what if she got bored? What if there was no more puzzle anymore? At this point, he had made it to her first set of arms. Mono swallowed his saliva, eyeing her hand as he passed. Long, yellowish nails. Calloused fingers. An arm that reared above his head. It was one thing to observe how enormous she was from a relative distance. It was another thing entirely to be in her shadow, seeing her height towering above him, even when she was half laying down. 

Maybe he should say something. Keep her from getting too bored, just in case. She seemed to like his voice, or at least found it amusing. 

He cleared his throat. “Uh… my name is Mono, by the way…” Ah yes, truly, a charmer. My name is Mono. She wouldn't give one fuck about his name. And remember? She was now getting consistent fire, so maybe she wouldn't find the lighter so interesting…

“If you let me go,” Mono tried, speaking in a strictly controlled, near-monotonous tone in the vague hope she might find it soothing, “I can get you more things like that. I can come back.”

A derisive snort. He was at the second set of arms now, and the mocking noise she made rumbled through her body so loudly that it almost felt like the air around him vibrated. Mono’s nerves were through the roof, and it made him nearly jump out of his skin.

“ _Jesus_.” 

Another snicker.

“I’m serious, though,” he continued shakily, lightly rubbing her wrist as he slunk past the third set. His eyes latched onto her hind legs. The yellow fabric that teasingly obscured her from his sight. “I know it’s not usual, but… I’d come back. I can bring things you'd like.”

A disinterested hum. She didn’t seem to believe him, and he didn’t really blame her. People would say anything. Why should he keep his promises? In this world, you only mated a single person once. And then you thanked your lucky stars you survived the encounter. Returning to the same mate was unheard of. 

_Click click_ went the lighter. It still had her fascination. He sort of understood: fire had a hypnotizing quality. Much like her.

“S-sorry,” he felt compelled to apologize, embarrassed like he had committed some grievous social mistake. As often as people lied to monsters, they did their best to not be found out. Although Mono hadn’t been lying (insane as it was, he already wanted to come back - but to come back, he had to live), he couldn't help feeling like Six thought she’d caught him lying, like a stupid novice. Which he was. 

He ripped his gaze away from her underneath, if only to check that she wasn’t plotting bloody murder. 

Nope. 

It was hard to see from this angle, with many twisted and bent limbs obscuring his sight, but he was pretty sure she was staring intently at a little flame. 

Huh. Okay. This was definitely too easy. He was too new. He shouldn't be trying this. Was she toying with him? Messing with him? _Some of them like to play with their food._

Mono struggled to breathe through the panic that tightened around his chest. She was going to eat him. She only let him get this far because it was funny. How could he have been so naive to think otherwise??

Then, with cracking of limbs, and a contortion of her spine, her face was suddenly there, close to him, peering at him with a surprisingly gentle curiosity. 

He squeaked. “You’re very flexible.”

She only smiled. Those huge teeth on display. Fingers curled in the webbing of the nest - no, wait - they curled around the dead body, her prey from before Mono arrived. Up it rose in her gargantuan hand, webbing ripped free from the nest, and into her mouth it went. 

Her teeth bit in to the supple flesh, and a mix of fluid spurted out and dripped down. Deep red, and poisonous green. Only one of those came from the body. 

Mono swallowed and skittered back as a fat drop of blood splatted on his shoulder. She chewed lazily, watching him. Was she trying to tell him something? Was this a threat? Her eyes closed. _Crunch_. She slurped up the corpse in a mere few bites, and then there was nothing left but blood and digestive juices dripping from her mouth. Um. 

Licking her lips, she again twisted her front half into its original forward facing position. 

_Click, fwoosh._ Back to the fire. 

Okay. That had happened. That seemed like permission. Maybe? Hopefully? He had to try, had to have confidence. Being consumed by his anxieties now would not only make him end up dead, but also ruin his only chance. Mono’s hands fell to petting and stroking her skin, or at least that which he could reach, which was her calves, inner knees, and halfway up her thighs. She was going to have to help him, if this was going to get done, and the kneading motions along her skin were aimed at encouraging her. 

That was the goal, but even just touching her had Mono feeling weak at the knees. He had dreamed and imagined so many times, but to actually be here, under her mass, rubbing her thighs in a plea? 

Six eased her bottom half lower, hunching her hind legs up, and Mono shivered. It was an eerie but floaty feeling, having her comply.

“Okay, good good good,” Mono murmured nervously under his breath. His hands continued their ministrations along her thighs, rubbing soothingly. There was a tense moment where she didn’t respond and then, just like magic, she spread her thighs and lowered herself further. 

Mono’s heart was hammering in his ears at this point, and he was more turned on and terrified than he’d ever been in his life. 

“Good, it’s okay,” he kept mumbling, largely to himself. Up until he heard the lighter stop clicking, and then he couldn't even breathe to get words out. What if she had decided she’d had enough? What if he’d made it this far, only to become her next meal? 

But no wayward hand came out of nowhere to seize him and cram him into her mouth. Nor did she close her legs, or rear up away from. Exactly the opposite. Her hips dipped lower, until she was very nearly sitting upon the ground. Four back limbs now folded almost completely up, and her abdomen and thighs within easy reach. Mono could barely believe his luck. He didn’t let himself relax for a single instant. 

Crooning gently, he rubbed his hands along her legs, and then her coated hip. He was going to need to unbutton the bottom of the coat…. He probably wouldn't be able to get under it for what he needed to do otherwise. 

Trembling, his hands reached for the first button. The button alone spanned half the length of his forearm, and it took a great deal of tugging and finagling to get the thing free. All while he was a ball of anxiety, terrified that Six would change her mind. She didn’t. 

The lowest button came free, and then the one above it. The sides of her coat draped over her haunches, now revealing bare skin underneath. Quivering pale skin. A tangle of dark hair between her legs. 

“Okay, okay,” Mono breathed. Close. So close. He smoothed his hands over her abdomen. It was soft beneath his palms, warm. He kept his motions deep and kneading, and although he felt like he was applying a lot of pressure and strength behind the rubbing, it was likely very weak to her. She let it continue, however, and Mono was beginning to tremble for an entirely different reason. Was this actually going to work…?

One hand kept up its ministrations. The other unbuttoned his slacks clumsily. His breath was coming fast now, eagerly. He’d have to make it quick. In and out, quite literally. Because her patience wouldn't last forever. This was the final step in the process. He shed his pants entirely - a low growl warned him to get his hands back on her, asap, and he quickly returned to the caressing. 

“It’s okay,” he repeated, feeling redundant but the words were a comforting mantra. “It’s okay, it’s okay…” More placating pets while Mono gathered his courage. He blew out of his lips. Cmon cmon cmon _now-_

His hands shot away from her abdomen and seized the sides of her coat. With every bit of strength in his thin arms he pulled himself up, hiked his legs up, and in one fell swoop sunk his erection into her. Instantly it was a mind-blowing heaven, riddled both with the fear bred into him for generations, and the rocking pleasure of doing exactly what he was supposed to for the continuation of his species. It blasted him out of his mind, out of his body, and had him shuddering with a near-delirious rapture while he seemed to feel a million wonderful things at once.

It took three short thrusts before he’d done what he came to do. The moment was insanely powerful, but punishingly brief. He couldn't be upset - the experience would stick with him for the rest of his life. His grip slipped on her coat and he thudded to the ground with a ‘ _oof_!’

What he’d experienced left him a dizzying state of bliss, but the low hiss that was beginning to rumble from Six’s throat had his blood returning fast to his brain with a screeching plea for action. Monsters weren’t exactly the cuddly type: normally, once the whole courtship process was done, and the seed lain, any remaining interest they had evaporated. He had expired his usefulness. 

“Okay, okay, I’m leaving!” He cried out, scrambling up to run and twice falling. 

The hissing increased in intensity, and he yelped. Go go go. Forget his pants, didn’t matter. Buck ass naked, he stumbled and scrabbled his way out of the nest, flinching in horrible anticipation of being seized and placed between her rows of teeth. “I’m leaving, see I’m leaving!”

He mounted the height of the nest, and then went tumbling head over heels down the other side until he landed hard on dirt and webbing. At this point, he was coated in the stuff, and as he grappled with removing it, her shadow fell over him. There she was, perched at the top of the nest and gazing down at him, eyes narrowed. 

“I’ll be back,” he promised, backing away as he pulled strands off his legs. “I’ll bring you more stuff. I’ll be back.”

He could’ve sworn he saw a little smile tugging at the edges of her huge mouth, as he turned tail and ran for safety. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My nonsensical kink story has somehow become a more domestic hurt/comfort fic. Oops. For all those who hoped to see another chapter, hopefully the tonal change is not too jarring.

Mono stumbled into the nearest village, naked as the day he was born, and still reeling from both the intensity of his visit, as well as the miracle of his survival. There was a little pride and a little humiliation in admitting that the experience so overwhelmed him that he wasn’t in his right mind, and rambled about how he’d met Six. Of course, no one believed him.

With some food and water provided by the others, he returned to his senses, apologized, and pretended he’d simply gotten lost and delirious. 

Back at home, the nature of most people’s jeers was, “If you’re so desperate to get laid, just go out and do it.”

Universally it was agreed Mono was a virgin, and a bit of a weird one at that. He took the insults quietly. Though it was painful to swallow his pride, he knew arguing his case would only make him look sillier. Many had begun to believe Mono simply wasn’t capable of finding a mate at all, and that he’d die in any attempt. Not to mention it was assumed only someone incredibly skilled would be able to get within ten feet of Six and not get devoured; Mono, clumsy and amateurish, couldn’t possibly be up to the task.

In some ways, their sentiments made him feel inadequate, like he had cheated, or done something wrong, and didn’t deserve what Six had let him do. In other ways, his mood was too great to let himself be pulled down by self-doubt. Somehow, someway, she had let him live, and he would trust her judgment over those who had never met her. 

For weeks after his visit, his whole body hummed with an unearthly vigor, and his mind sang from her influence. He spent long hours replaying in his mind what had happened. He thought about everything, from the sight of her raven black hair, to her jagged smile, to her wonderment over the lighter. He thought, too, of his own actions, and how naive they seemed in retrospect. Yet, he looked back on it all fondly. It had been _their_ meeting. _Their_ joining. Clumsy, and funny, and unexpected. Terrifying and wonderful. It had been… so much more than he had thought, even, if not in a different way. 

Everyone said mating was the best part of the whole act. Now, he wasn’t so sure. He had enjoyed himself when he climaxed, and felt a bliss unlike any other, but… there seemed to be more to their union than mind-shattering bliss. It was a sum of _all_ the moments. His fright, her amusement, his steady progress between her many legs, the feel of her thighs at his fingertips, the sight of her teeth crushing into a body.

It was hard to explain, when not all of the component parts could be described as _good._ Together, though, all those parts made a whole. 

He… wanted to see her again. 

Now that was _especially_ unheard of, visiting the same monster twice. Especially dangerous. Some men had done it - men regarded as foolish - and the fate was as predictable as one-two-three. Mono felt very foolish himself. He had promised he’d return to Six, and he didn’t intend on going back on his word. The question was _when._

Not soon. If their mating had been successful, then Six would want nothing to do with him or anyone else, not for a while. As much as Mono craved to learn more about her, and see her, and touch her, he wouldn't risk it, not for anything. So he waited. 

Leaves fell from the trees. Winter set in, cold and dark and long. He hoped she was keeping warm and safe, and then chided himself for worrying over a creature that could more than take care of herself. Then the world began to thaw, and greenery to bloom. 

A year was a long time; longer for him than her. It was enough time to build her gifts, to reconsider them, and to build new things. It was enough time that her nest should now be empty except for her, all her offspring shooed their respective ways. 

A logical man would wait until summer. The hazy heat and beaming sun would have Six in a more docile mood, and increase the chances of him walking away with his life. It was summertime when he had last visited, and part of him bid him to wait until then. 

He would have, too, if not for one deep fear: _what if Six moved nests?_ Springtime was the season where migrating most occurred, along with squabbles and spats over territory. It was a low risk, but a risk all the same: if Mono chose to wait until summer, and Six chose to move… he’d have to go about finding her all over again, and he couldn't guarantee he’d be able to, certainly not with any speed.

The decision was made. He packed up his gifts, as well as food and water for the journey, and set off again, heart thudding in his ears. After a whole year, he’d see her! He’d see Six again! 

As he wound deeper into the forest surrounding her territory, though, a new concern crept in. 

Some patches of the forest were as they should be: new life sprouting up through the soil, trees setting out shoots and new plumes of leaves. The closer he got to Six’s territory, the more he saw trunks burned black, charred stumps, and large fields of ash littered with destroyed foliage. 

The large swathes of forest burned down set fresh anxiety in his heart. In crawled a profound sense of his own stupidity. He had left Six with a lighter. A _lighter._ Something that she’d never encountered before. While he was sure she knew the dangers of fire, it would also be easy to get excited, or to slip up… and in the middle of a forest, with everything flammable - was her _web_ flammable?

Mono picked up speed, heart pounding for an entirely different reason now. He was so _stupid._ Horrible images swarmed his skull: a curled charred body, limbs twisted and face frozen in agony. Six. God, Six - 

He was in a full out sprint in the next moment. If she died because of him - 

When he stumbled upon an enormous many-limbed body, his heart shot into his throat. Except, there was no raincoat, and the body, while massive, did not reach Six’s size. A closer examination proved the lack of resemblance, though the chunks bitten from her body were large enough to be telling. 

A rival? Coming to usurp Six’s territory, or to challenge her?

Mono pressed on, worry gnawing at him. 

The forest gave way to a webbed wasteland (unburned, he noted with relief). The closer to the middle, the more her nest towered. At the base of it lay two more eight-limbed corpses, one of them mangled to bits. The other was mostly undamaged, but was positioned higher on the slope to Six’s nest. All the corpses were fresh, and the wounds full of insects. Their cloying smell stuck to the inside of his nose and added to his nausea and dread. 

Three bodies total… Three against one. Unless there were even more, and the others made it out alive. Which meant Six - _No._ He couldn't think that. 

Feeling sick, Mono began the climb. Shoes and clothing stuck in the webbing. He wrenched them out again and again, increasingly frustrated at the lost time. He had to check on Six. He needed to make sure she wasn’t - wasn’t - 

He crested the top of her nest, and gazed into the funnel of webbing. 

His heart plummeted straight into his stomach. 

“Six,” he breathed. 

There was no mistaking her enormous, yellow-coated form tucked in the deepest part of the nest. But she wasn’t moving. Not even a twitch. Most females would have met him at the edge of the nest, if not sooner, and challenged every step. They guarded their nests ferociously, and were alert to every change around their territory.

Six didn’t seem aware Mono had stepped foot into hers. 

Terrified, he began scrambling down towards the funnel, safety be damned. If she was dead, she wouldn’t be able to hurt him for his transgression, he reasoned, and hated himself for thinking something like that.

Roughly fifty feet away, he slowed to a stop. The fact he could get so close, unchallenged and unnoticed, wasn’t a good sign. Not at all. Even still, he couldn't bring himself to go any closer, lest this be some horrible prank. Her arms had a long, long reach, and they’d move much faster than he could run. 

Mono twisted his fingers together fearfully. He wouldn't go any closer. He didn’t dare. But he was also afraid for her. 

“Six?” He called, voice a cracking whisper. 

No response. No movement. This was bad. Really bad. She should have been upon him, limbs flared and ready to seize him. She should… at least do _something._

Mono glanced behind him, like the towering rim of her nest might give him some answer. It, of course, did not. He looked back.

Six lay in the shadows, in a small crusted pool of someth- oh. The smell of blood choked him, thicker here, out of the wind.

_She’s dead._

No. She couldn't be. 

Mono dared a step closer. Still no movement. “Six?” He tried again. Nothing. 

No no no no. 

Tears pricked at Mono’s eyes. His feet, carrying him nearer, acted very much without input from his mind. The shadow of her nest fell over him. Thirty feet, twenty feet, ten feet, five feet -

“Six-?”

She moved so quickly he didn’t have time to breath.

_Whump_ his back struck ground. A gigantic hand crushed him down, and then her poisonous yellow eyes filled his vision. “It’s me!” Mono wheezed, fighting to get back the air that had been knocked from his lungs. “ _It’s-me-it’s-me-it’s-me_ -”

A low rattling his rumbled in his ears. _Drip… drip… drip_ , green digestive juices plopped onto his clothing and the web around him. 

Her weight crushed his ribs, “ _It’s-Mono_ ,” he squeaked, like it would matter at all.

The weight lifted. He sucked in huge, grateful breaths, slinging his gaze to her towering form. Effortless as it had seemed to her to pin him like that, he now saw it had exerted her. Her face was pale as death, her eyes rimmed with sleepless bags. Her hair, once a mane of thick black hair, was now dulled and tangled. She sat with her hips turned to the side, and the four back legs doing nothing at all to support her weight. It was the four front ones that had her perched up and hovered her above him. 

Mono’s heart twisted. “Six,” he uttered, simultaneously reverential and worried. “Six, what happ-?”

Her mouth wrenched open and she let out a bone-shaking, ear-splitting shriek. It splattered him head to toe with spit and other substances he’d rather not guess at it. He squeezed his eyes shut and skittered backwards on his butt. “Shh-sh-sh, it’s okay-“

Her teeth snapped shut with a click. Yellowed nails clawed placelessly into the webbing. Now he noticed several deep gouges into the nest, signs of her agitation. He should run. Should call it a failure and bolt home before she did him in for real. She was hurt, she was unpredictable, she clearly couldn't even get up to hunt. If prey wandered in so foolishly, she couldn't be blamed for seizing upon it and feasting, a last final meal before her demise. 

Mono physically trembled. He had been lucky enough to live the first time. “I’m gonna trust you, okay?” He said in a hushed, shaking whisper. “I’m not gonna leave you, not unless you want me to. I’m here to help.” 

It wasn’t why he came, of course, and staying was infinitely stupid, but after seeing her condition, he couldn't fathom leaving her to die. He couldn’t do it. 

Six, now that she had hoisted herself half up, was rocking slightly from her two supporting left legs, and her two supporting right legs. Back, forth, back forth. Her tangled hair swung in rhythm. It had to be a nervous, deliberating gesture. He ignored the tiny _shluck_ ing noise that her back set of legs made as they shifted in the bloody gunk she lay in. 

All of this was so awful… his limited first aid knowledge sped through his skull, though he had never had to tend to something like her. 

First… first he had to see what was actually wrong, right? Though that meant getting closer to her, and… Mono warily snuck a glance at her pale face again. She wasn’t even looking at him anymore, just doing that distressed rocking. 

He felt sick inside. She was so messed up. She must have been in so much pain, and for how long? A better question might be how long since she had last eaten… he leaned to snag a glance of her stomach or her abdomen, but it was impossible to get a good look at how thin she was with her coat in the way. 

Mono swallowed. Okay, great. Either he sit here and debate forever, or he do something.

He forced himself up on wobbly legs.

Even with her injured, being close to her, dwarfed by her, was… an experience. Frightening and awe-inspiring. He steadied his breath and his body. Apparently today was his day to die. “I’m not going to hurt you,” he murmured, which did nothing but wrench her attention to him again, and she snarled. 

He jumped nearly out of his skin. “I just need to see the injury-“ Her palms slammed on the ground, her teeth gnashed, and her eyes were wide in fury. Mono yelped and went stumbling backwards. “Okay - okay - sorry-“ 

She was back to rocking, eyes unfocused. Mono chewed his lip fearfully. He needed to see what was wrong with her, but there was no way he was getting any closer without her stomping his bones to pieces. This was so bad. 

He scrubbed his palms over his face. If he did nothing, she’d die. 

_I should have come here days ago. Weeks ago. I should have made sure she was okay._

Mono shook off those thoughts. He would have had no way of knowing. Six was a force of nature all on her own, and in most situations, she could take care of herself. This… this had just been an unusual case. There was no point playing what-if or if-only games. He needed to do something, and he needed to do something now. 

_Food._ If she had been stuck here for a while, then she hadn’t been eating. 

“I’m gonna get you food,” Mono said decisively. “I’m going to help you, okay?”

She hardly seemed to care about his words. 

Mono wasted no further time. He departed her nest, reluctant as he was to leave her alone, and set off into the woods. Six’s preferred fare was something out of his ability to provide, but the forest had to be teeming with life. Only thing was he didn’t have traps, rope, or any fixings for catching them. Nor did he have any first aid in case he was able to get close enough to Six. 

He headed straight for the village, where he had to endure an uncomfortable number of questions. 

“Hey, you’re that guy that ran here last year naked, aren’t you?”

“Must’ve been someone else,” he mumbled in reply, to the uproarious laughter of the shopkeeper. 

Once that jeering was done, he told the shopkeeper he’d like to buy his entire stock of bandages and other miscellaneous first aid equipment. “ _All_ of it?” The man replied. 

“Yeah.”

“What are you doing, bandaging your entire body?”

More cackles that Mono suffered with red scrawled across his face. He didn’t dare say that no, as a matter of fact, he needed so much because there were no bandages designed for creatures like Six, and ergo he was going to need a _lot_ of human bandages. Nobody would believe him anyway. Who would bother trying to rescue an injured monster? Why risk life or limb, when you could just as easily find another? Why mess with their affairs, when all you really needed was to mate? Mono couldn't explain it, not even to himself.

The final heckling came when it was revealed he didn’t have enough money for all the stuff he wanted to buy. He pleaded with the shopkeeper, who eventually got annoyed enough to threaten kicking Mono out of the shop. By this time, Mono was in palpitations over how long he’d left Six already, wondering if she was still surviving. He elected to leave behind some first aid equipment and some traps. 

Then, burdened with all his new items, he set off back towards Six’s nest, setting traps all along the way. Most of them he was going to need to wait for, but luckily he came across a small stream that he was able to net out a few fish from. 

It would have to do. He was antsy waiting around for something bigger and more filling to stumble into his traps. 

Toting his stash of fish, he returned to the nest.

Six had laid down again, cheek smushed to the ground. It twisted him up inside to see her so lacking in life. So weak when she had before been powerful, menacing, and vibrant. She wasn’t supposed to look like this, not at all. She barely lifted her head when he approached. 

_Is it too late?_

Hurriedly, he dumped the fish out, and poked them closer to her using a long stick. “C’mon, eat,” he whispered. When she failed to react, he impaled one fish on his stick and waved it in front of her face. No reaction. Mono gritted his teeth. 

“You’re not dying on my watch, okay!?” He finally yelled. 

Six rumbled a low hiss from her throat. 

“No! You don’t get to be all sad because I’m trying to make sure you live, damnit!” The fish waved all about in his rage, tail flopping stupidly in the air. “You are going to eat this, and you are going to LIKE it!” In his rage, the fish was flung right off the stick, and first smacked Six’s cheek, and the landed with a wet slap in front of her face. A grumble rose in her chest, and Mono went cold realizing he’d just yelled at her. When she picked up her head, though, hair tangled with web, and fixed her glare on him, he surprisingly found a second wind.

“What, so you’re mad at me? I’m the one who just dropped a ton of money buying first aid and hunting supplies for you! Do I look like a hunter!? Cuz I’m really not, but here I am getting food for you because at least one of us wants you to li-“ He cut off as Six’s long fingers curled around the fish. Grumbling, she crammed it beneath her teeth, vomited green fluids over it, and then swallowed. Her yellow eyes glared at him surlily.

A tiny smile spread across his face. _Maybe she has a chance._

A slim one, but a chance. He needed to get to work.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I... had to split the chapter... again. Oops

There were many rules that one generally adhered to if they wished to survive. Don’t hang around a nest for any longer than necessary. Don’t get attached. Don’t this, don’t that. 

Mono was breaking all of the rules, every single one. It was exhilarating, although that feeling had everything to do with Six and nothing do with the actual rule-breaking. She was incredible, even as he was worried sick about her. No matter what anyone else might say, he knew he was doing the right thing.

Mono coerced her into eating two more fish (by coerce, he meant he irritated her enough that she ate them out of spite, if her expression was anything to go by). Thinking that this may have earned him her favor, he inched nearer in an effort to gauge how badly she was hurt. 

She chased him off with flashing teeth, clawing hands, and rumbling growls. Mono retorted angrily, “They’re only going to get worse if we don’t do something!”

She had no interest in his logic. She didn’t want him anywhere within ten feet of her. Only her trust and weakened state was permitting him in the nest at all. In fact, she had yet to move from the puddle of blood her lower half was marinating in, and he was getting more and more worried about it.

Additionally, although he had enough to keep her stomach full (or at least not entirely empty), water was a big problem. Mono had in his possession two canteens, which Six turned her nose up at. He didn’t blame her: they were so tiny anyway, not even the length of her pinky finger. What use would they be for rehydrating her?

There was also the creek. After you left the mile of webbed wasteland for the forest, it was a short walk to the creek’s near-infinite supply of water. Very likely, the stream and its reliable water flow had played a part in why Six chose this area for her nest; maybe it was one reason why the other three females had so coveted it. However, even if he marched back and forth from the stream, filling his canteens with every round, how many trips would it take to make any dent in her thirst? She probably hadn’t drank anything in days, and wouldn't be brought back to health by mere drops. 

The only option was getting her to the stream somehow. This served two purposes, Mono reasoned. One - she’d get water, obviously. Two - out in the sun, Mono might be able to determine the extent of damage.

The hard part? Actually getting Six there. She was more lively after eating, her eyes tracking him across the nest with both threat and thoughtfulness, but she had made no move to rise herself, and still appeared very lethargic. 

Thus began Mono’s mission. First he trekked to the woods and found the longest stick that he could reasonably wield. Then he marched back to the nest. “We’re going to go to the creek,” he announced matter-of-factly. 

Six had laid her head back down. Mono felt queasy, a now-familiar fear clenching around his stomach. She didn’t look good. As optimistic and cheery as he tried to be, deep down he was afraid she wasn’t going to make it. He couldn't let those thoughts consume him. He straightened his back. 

_Am I really ready to risk dying for the chance to save her?_ Yeah, shove aside, thoughts. He’d already wrangled with much stupider decisions for her sake. They hadn’t gone wrong yet.

“You need water,” he declared. “And I’m going to make sure you get it. Come on. Up and at ‘em!” He swatted his stick against the webbing, as close to her side as he dared. 

In came her threat displays; bared teeth, hissing. He swatted the stick again, and she lashed out with one of her hands as if to grab it. Now that, _that_ made him jump. Heart pounding, he backed further away. Okay. Keep it together.

“Let’s go, c’mon!” He said, with increasing gusto. _Swat swat swat_ went the stick. Her growl built into a roar. Her hand lashed out again, and again he jumped back. Christ, she was fast when she wanted to be. Even though he was out of range of her long arms, she spooked him every time. 

“We’re doing this so you don’t die, Six,” He reminded, having the sense to feel a little guilty. She clearly didn’t want to move. In the end, though, she was going to have to if she was going to survive. She grumbled. 

Resigned, he continued whipping the stick against the ground and crying out encouragements until Six’s frustration was such that she lurched her immense weight up and out of the bloody puddle. Mono’s heart leapt. There! She was swaying side to side, unsteady on her feet, but she was up! Wait…

She was up. 

Her legs began to churn, and Mono yelped, abandoning his stick in favor of skedaddling towards the outer ridge of her nest. It was a testament to her debilitating injuries that he made it anywhere at all before her enormous bony fingers wrapped around his chest and raised him, kicking and struggling, into the air. The ground dropped down down down. Wind whistled through his ears. Mono wheezed for breath. Fuck fuck fuck-

She raised him level with her lurid yellow eyes. 

“Hi,” he squeaked. “I - I didn’t mean - I just - I don’t want you to die-“ 

She snorted. One of her other limbs was shifting; Mono wiggled in her clutches fearfully. Maybe she was about to attack him, maybe she’d pull off his head for fun, maybe -

Her other palm turned upwards. In the very middle sat a tiny, silver object, reflecting the sunlight.

His lighter. It was his lighter! She’d kept it, all this time -

Amazed, he met her gaze and found a small, tired smile at her lips. 

“You really do remember me,” he breathed. This was proof. Rock solid proof. Even when held prone in her fist, legs dangling dumbly, he couldn’t help smiling, too. 

He opened his mouth to say something that probably would have been embarrassingly emotional. She didn’t give him the chance. While one hand tucked the lighter away into her raincoat, the other casually threw him. As in, he had a full two seconds of sailing through air. He landed on a cushion of webbing, then bounced and rolled to a stop. Ow. _Ow._

Begrudgingly, he staggered back to his feet to find Six following him, albeit suffering a heavy limp. Only now, her massive body out of the shadows, did he get a better glimpse of the damage. Red splashed all along her left side. Rips in her coat, threads jutting out. A gigantic bite above her hip, its hanging meat chunks wiggling with every step. And right above that wound, there was a leg that she held tucked close under her belly, as much as the many-jointed limb would allow. She put no weight on it, wouldn't even move it. 

Mono swallowed bile and fear. Okay. Okay. He knew it would be bad. That was why he was sticking around. Point was… she was following him. In fact, she waved a hand at him impatiently, lips tight, like _c’mon, get a move on._ She knew the goal, and she wanted to make it there. She wanted to live.

Right. Mono scurried ahead. 

The journey to the creek was a slow, agonizing one. Every step caused Six pain. Her head hung low, matted black hair swinging with her jolting, tortured movements. At all times Mono was ahead of her, calling out encouragements, keeping up a cheerful facade, assuring her that she was doing great. She may’ve found that demeaning, because she grumbled and huffed, but Mono wanted to believe it was working. Well - it _was_ working. Step by staggering step, she made it closer, closer, closer, her large tired eyes fixed upon him like a target. 

To anyone else, this must’ve looked like madness. Like the slowest of hunts. 

He didn’t want to guess how long it took them before the sound of flowing water hit his ears. 

He leapt over the creek and danced at the other side, filled with relief. Now she could finally drink. Six’s head tilted down, examining the creek. Black hair dipped into the water. It really was filthy; he could see it better in the sun. Tacky with grease, blood, knots, and webbing.

_Whumph,_ all her legs folded under her. The earth lurched beneath Mono’s feet. He grabbed a nearby tree to steady himself, and did so just in time to see her head flop forwards and _splash._

Uh. 

“Six- _Six_!?” 

Up came her head again, the lower half dripping, her eyes unamused. _Yes?_ She seemed to say. 

Oh, Jesus. Mono put his palm over his heart. She was just drinking. For a second there, he’d thought - well, it didn’t matter. 

She went back to sucking up the creek water. Her eyes slipped closed, which unnerved Mono.But he’d fussed and harassed her enough. She’d gotten food, she’d gotten water, and those were great starts. 

Keeping a healthy distance, Mono circled half around Six, affording him a view of her left side. That one leg was crunched under her body, which _had_ to hurt. Frustratingly, because of that, his sight of it was obscured. He did get a horribly clear assessment of the bite on her side, though, and the fleshy chunks dangling off her body, wiggling pointlessly with every breath. From the exertion of her movement, it had begun to ooze fresh bright red blood. 

Mono gnawed at his own lip. He’d let Six just rehydrate for now. It’d give him time to stretch his body, because ever since Six had thrown him, he’d been in a bit of pain himself. What was gently messing around for her could be lethal for him easily. He decided to take it as a healthy reminder to not get too comfortable around her. At the end of the day, she was the sort of creature that habitually ate creatures like him. A fraction of extra caution would do him good. 

It was that, maybe, that warded him away from being too insistent when it came to looking at her wounds. When she bared her teeth, and her long claw-like nails bit into the soft earth, he backed off quick. She wasn’t going to let him get a closer look; he wasn’t going to be able to convince her otherwise. It was upsetting, but he’d have to work at her pace. 

“I’m getting you more food,” Mono settled on, disgruntled. She didn’t acknowledge him as he went to check the traps. Several had been set off, but caught nothing, and Mono was losing hope about his abilities as a trapper until he came across a plump strangled bunny. Ew. She’d like it, though, probably. 

Mono dragged it back to the creek, where Six was still downed; she snatched it from him and crammed it in her mouth so fast that all his breath whooshed from his lungs. Still hungry, then. But better than before, and that counted for something. Already she seemed less sluggish, chewing slowly and reveling in the meal, while her two frontmost limbs stretched. 

She wouldn't let him anywhere near her wounds yet, but maybe there was some way of gaining more of her trust? Of making her realize he was only interested in helping?

Mono’s eyes drifted to the mess of her hair. “What if I combed out your hair?” He blurted before he could stop himself. 

Six’s eyebrows raised and he flushed a hot red. It’d be a lie to say he hadn’t thought about it, even before meeting Six again. From the first sight, he’d been curious about her coal-black hair, and he’d wanted to touch it and filter it through his fingers.

Six studied him, silent and contemplative. He thought she’d refuse, until she rolled her eyes and sighed. 

Okay. Okay. Then that was what he’d do; the one thing she’d allow him to do. 

Mono settled cross legged beside her, and draped a heavy coarse chunk of hair across his lap to begin. The mats and tangles were terrible, evidence of days of neglect after a brutal fight. Biting his tongue, he set to work. Streaming fingers through the black locks, tugging free knots, combing out dried blood and gunk. Some knots took several minutes of focus, with repeated soaking in creek water, which he also used to help him rinse out the strands.

Anything too far gone to salvage, he reluctantly sawed off with his pocket knife and tossed aside. Regretful, but inevitable. Fortunately, it was a rare time that he sighed and brought out the knife.

The hours ticked by. Six patiently endured the grooming, often dipping her head to sip at the stream. Mono sometimes stood to stretch and get water himself. A quiet, drowsy peace settled over him as he combed through her hair. All day had been stressful and intense, what with finding Six in the state she was in, rushing to the shop, setting traps, coaxing Six to eat, then to drink… 

Even though his fingers quickly became sore, he kept at the task, finding a rhythm in it. His thoughts drifted. His eyelids drooped. He got sleepier, sleepier… sleepier…

If Mono dreamed, he didn’t remember it. All he knew was waking up, well-rested and calm, in a bed of long, streaming black hair. The suns rays were just beginning to filter through the trees, casting glowing gold adornments upon the ferns and moss. Water babbled peaceably over silvery grey rocks. Before he was fully awake, he wondered with a serene sort of detachment if he had made it to heaven. 

Then the memories filtered in. _Six_.

Mono turned. There was her daunting bulk, towering beside him even while laying down.Her back rose and fell with whooshing breaths that ruffled the grass.

Seeing her up close like this, with his well-rested mind working at proper capacity, his actions from yesterday began to sink in. What he was doing was incredibly, incredibly weird. He was being weird. She was being weird. They both were going so far outside of what was considered normal. A quick sexual encounter where you thank your lucky stars you made it out alive - that was normal. One and done, and never see or think about each other again. And here he’d gone and slept through the night with Six, after investing significant effort in keeping her alive. Here she’d gone, letting him do that without stuffing him into her mouth. 

Mono rubbed his temples. Okay. Well. That was an important point, right? Six _hadn’t_ killed him. She’d even shown him the lighter, proving she remembered him and welcomed his presence for a second time. So y’know what? Throw normal to the wind. Until she made it clear she wanted otherwise, he was going to stick with her. At least, for as long as it took to get her healthy, which he imagined was as long as it would take for her to decide she didn’t want him hanging around anymore. They could be weird together. 

In the meantime… “Six?” He whispered. She seemed so peaceful, mouth partially slack (inside, he glimpsed a lot of strange black points, folds, and ridges, and he decided he was better off not knowing exactly what all that was). He didn’t want to disturb her. She needed sleep more than him. Time was ticking, though, and her wounds had gone an extra night untended. Worries about infection or blood loss were creeping in. If she still didn’t let him take care of her injuries, then he didn’t know what he could do. 

“Six?” 

Her eyes parted into slits. Her pupils refocused, studying him. Then, letting out a big sigh that had his clothes fluttering around him, she slowly hauled her immense weight up onto her seven functional legs. 

_Seven-legged Six,_ crossed Mono’s mind and he chastised himself for making what sounded like a joke in such a serious moment. It was that eighth leg he needed to look at (and the bite not far from it). She seemed more stable on her feet this morning. The food and water must’ve helped. Now he just needed to go a little further. 

“I want to help,” he whispered. Six tilted her head to the side. Right. She was too far to really hear a whisper. “I want to help,” he repeated, loudly. “Six, please. I need to see where you’re hurt…”

Her wounded leg tucked closer to her body. Every line her body evinced warning, danger. Mono’s mouth went dry. C’mon. Please. All of this would be for nothing. 

At the same time, he understood. She was a creature that had long survived entirely on her own, and she was very capable at it, too. She had gotten much larger and lived much longer than many others. All by her own teeth and strength.

In this, though, he knew he could assist.

He gazed up, hands spread in supplication. “I promise I won’t hurt you, Six.”

She stared right back, eyes narrowed. He feared this would go just about as unsuccessfully as any other attempt. Then, riddled with uncertainty and tension, Six lowered herself down. Eyes watchful and wary, she unfolded the injured arm, and placed her hand tenderly to the ground.

Mono dared to creep nearer, murmuring soothing words along the way. “It’s okay… it’s okay, I just need to look at it, all right? Just need to see what’s…”

He trailed off. 

Someone had bitten clean through Six’s hand, and taken a good chunk of it off. She had only two fingers left on that hand: the pointer, and the thumb, each tipped with a sharp yellowish nail. A portion of her wrist was gone, too. The level of pain she had to be in… 

All that was left of her missing flesh was an ugly mass of gooey scab, oozing in some places, dripping blood in others.

He retreated, a crease in his brow. The injury was enormous. He may have bought out the store’s supplies of bandages, but he didn’t think it would begin to cover this. He honestly hadn’t thought about what he’d do if everything he’d brought wasn’t enough.

“Six, we gotta disinfect this somehow…” He placed one hand gently on her pointer finger and squeezed. It was about the closest they’d get to hand holding, given her size. 

She hummed. 

He wracked his brain. There was no way he could get enough iodine, or alcohol, or anything of the likes, to treat gashes of this size. That didn’t even begin to answer the question of how he might tend to every inch. Unless… 

“You don’t happen to know where the ocean might be, do you?” 

It took some explaining, about wound care in general, and then about how salt water could serve as a disinfectant. Disgruntled, Six eventually agreed. This was how Mono found himself suddenly seized and deposited on Six’s back, where he clung for dear life dozens of feet above the ground. 

Her raincoat was slippery smooth, her spine a jutting bridge of bones, and there was nothing to grab onto. Mono spent most of the journey flat on his stomach, hugging tight to her, praying for dear mercy while he watched her numerous legs gyrate around him. Forest made way to sandy brushland, which made way to salty sea air and the lapping tide of an ocean stretching out far as the eye could see. 

Mono expected Six to stop and deposit him at the shore. That was very naive of him. 

She plowed right into the ocean while he shrieked and waves broke on her limbs. He watched in terror as water swirled and parted for her. He’d never learned how to swim. If he fell, and got swept out to sea…

He veritably trembled, flattened to her back for safety, while she waded deeper and deeper. “That’s probably enough,” Mono squealed, but she kept right on until water was brushing her belly and splashing up her sides (often spraying Mono with stinging droplets of salt water). Whimpering and shivering, he kept himself plastered to her. 

Some waves were strong enough to rock her entire body, nauseating him. 

Six stood still, letting the water soak thoroughly into the wounds. No doubt it had to hurt like hell, but she took it all with naught but a soft, distressed _murrr_. 

Once she deemed the rinsing sufficient, she spent a few moments roving along the waves, each step a loud _sploosh_. Some foolish birds that ran in and out with the tide were too slow to flee in time; Six’s hand shot out and seized one. Into her mouth it went. Mono didn’t see it happen, but he heard the crunching and shrieking. 

Well… at least she was getting more food?

After three more birds met their fate this way, Six pulled herself completely ashore. There she paused, sagging in place. She must be tired… all the exertion was likely far more than she’d done in days. All of Mono’s supplies were back at the nest though, dropped off before their trip to the creek. They at least had to make it back there. Mono waited, hoping she’d take the initiative on her own. Unfortunately, she seemed more than content to simply perch in place, drying out beneath the sun. 

Mono gave her a few moments to breathe and relax. The longer she didn’t move a single muscle though, the more he wondered if she’d move at all without some prompting. 

“Six? Six, we gotta get back to the nest…” he poked her shoulder blade. He’d be lucky if she even felt it, so as rude as it seemed to do, he punched there instead. Six didn’t even twitch. Great. “C’mon. Pleeease.” A big rattling sigh rocked through her. 

Sloooowly one leg reached forward. Then another. Another. And they were moving!

The trip took nearly twice as long. Six’s weariness hung heavy on her. She climbed back into the nest, and luckily had the foresight to gently scoop Mono from her back and-

“Don’t throw-“ Mono yelped. Too late. It was a small toss but a toss just the same. 

He rolled several times over before coming to a stop. At least the webbing was soft. “Ugh…”

He struggled back to his feet. Six, meanwhile, had already settled her weight down. Her eyes were infinitely tired, drooping already. Her limbs had sprawled willly-nilly. She sleepily surveyed him and then, with another rumbling sigh, once more unfurled the hurt limb. The current position would enable him to reach her wounded hand, and with a little bit of help, potentially let him reach the huge bite above her hip. 

She was granting permission at last. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Spoopy for reading over the last few chapters before posting and making sure nothing is too out of place, and eljesala for their fantastic artwork [here](https://eljesala.tumblr.com/post/643351977660760064/arachnid-by-doceopercepto-i-am-absolute-in-love) [here](https://eljesala.tumblr.com/post/643358270386569216/based-on-the-arachnid-by-doceopercepto-if-six) and [here](https://eljesala.tumblr.com/post/643433306153779200/a-completely-normal-couple-based-on-arachnid-by), as well as the idea about Six's pupils indicating her interest/emotions... I couldn't help slipping in a little bit of that.

A full hour was dedicated to conservatively applying antibiotic, and wrapping thin bandages around what remained of her hand and arm. This took so long partly because of her size, and partly because every hiss or twitch had him flinching back in caution. Just in case. 

He ran out of both bandages and ointment before finishing, and tied the bandages off with his teeth grit. They really _should_ carry larger sizes. 

He couldn’t give back her three missing fingers, but now she had a better chance of not suffering infection. As for the bite mark on her side… that was bigger than he was. He didn’t know where to begin with it, unless he removed the extra bits of meat hanging off her, but that was far more invasive and painful than bandaging. 

Mono took one look at Six’s drooping eyelids, and the sliver of amber beneath them, and decided not to take his chances. Not right now, at least. She was settling in for a nap by the looks of it, and he’d count his blessings she’d allowed him everything he’d done so far. 

His attention turned to his own empty stomach, cramping muscles, and painful thirst. He’d been so busy tending to her that he’d not eaten or drank anything himself in a day now, on top of being intermittently terrified for his life. Now that she was in a fairly stable condition, he needed to worry about himself.

Sighing, Mono left her to her nap, and ventured back into the woods. The trip was much lonelier without her massive presence crawling after him. Even in such a short time, he’d gotten used to having her with him, and her absence left a very, _very_ large vacuum. 

_If it’s this bad just going for a food run, then what will it be like returning home?_ Months of uncertainty and longing, not to mention the fear that a group of females might band together to supplant Six, maybe successfully this time…

“She’s handled herself all this time without you,” Mono scolded himself. Anyway, what was he going to do against her opposers? Yell at them? That was a joke. He was going to have to trust she’d manage.

As for himself, he’d waited all his adolescence and early adulthood to see Six. When she inevitably kicked him out of her nest (assuming she didn’t eat him instead), then he could manage to wait more. As for what he’d be waiting for… well, that was easy. Another visit with her, the next year.There was no way he couldn’t, now that she had him very securely in her thrall. He wasn’t interested in any other monsters, and he wanted to keep seeing her. So he’d come back to Six’s nest, year after year, until she decided to cut those visits short. 

Mono shivered at that notion, even as ready as he was to accept it. Better to focus on the present. 

Every trap he set he now visited. The ones that were broken or malfunctioned, he did his best to repair. Two functional ones yielded results: one, a squirrel, two, another rabbit that looked like it had been dead for a little too long. He took the squirrel, tossed the rabbit, and built a little fire upon which to cook the meat. 

He should have grabbed his bag, which was back at the nest: there was snacks, jerky, and beans in there. There was also Six’s gifts, which Mono had gotten thoroughly distracted from. Maybe when she woke up, he could finally present them to her. This brought a smile to his face as he nibbled on dry gamey meat, and sipped from his canteens. 

With only tiny bones left from his meal, Mono stamped out the fire, scattered the ashes, and headed towards the creek. There he refilled his two canteens, and snorted at the slowly scattering pile of Six’s hair.

A few big stretches to work out some of the soreness, then he was ready to head to her nest once more. 

Out of the forest, past the cleared flatland. The two carcasses at the base of Six’s nest by now smelled foul. Mono scrunched up his nose. He wished he could move them away, but each one would weigh fifty times his weight. Six'd get them eventually. Up he climbed - it was a far more grueling climb on his own volition, versus when he rode Six up the side.

He crested the top. It was there that he froze, breath catching in his lungs. 

Six was wide awake, and her glittering eyes had fixed intently upon him with dangerously thin cat-eye pupils. There was a moment held in suspension, like waiting for a penny to drop. She stared at him. He stared at her.

In the corner of his vision he glimpsed a pile of blood-soaked webbing that had been moved away from her normal sleeping location. Six herself was in her funnel, upright on her seven functional legs, many long strands of sticky web drawn taunt between her teeth. She was cleaning and repairing the nest after having bled all over it. That suggested a creature planning on living. Which - good, he wanted Six to have her will to live. But what if she didn’t need him anymore?

Six blinked slowly. Her jaws shifted contemplatively. The glistening white web strands vibrated. It was very easy to imagine that she might find him a better use for that webbing.

Mono didn’t dare breathe. If he ran, he wouldn't be able to run fast enough to escape her. 

_Click, click_ went her teeth. 

Then, she lowered her head and began attaching the web to the floor. If that wasn’t a casual dismissal, Mono didn’t know what was. 

He exhaled heavily. His palm settled over his pounding heart. Safe. Safe. He could have laughed out of giddiness, but he was too relieved to make any noise at all. His legs were wobbly beneath him. He wasn’t sure exactly what had gone through her head there, but… what mattered was she spared him.

Mono slid down the edge and into the nest proper, heading to his pack and everything in it - good, she hadn’t touched it yet, or gone pawing in it. 

Hmm, would she want a gift now, or later? She seemed busy now. Hugging his pack to his chest, he studied her purposeful movements. He’d never really watched her, or anyone else, spinning a web before. There was a rhythm to it, a wondrous tidiness. 

She would reach into her mouth (offering elusive peeks at the strange black shapes within) and pull out one thick strand of strong silk. Her fingers dutifully separated that one strand into many, which she then clasped gently in the gaps between her jagged teeth. Dipping her head down, she used both her front hands to arrange the various strands and apply them studiously to the ground below. The process involved an intricate overlapping pattern of several of the strands at once, often requiring the assistance of a third hand. Her teeth snipped the strands as needed, and her fingers pulled more from her mouth as needed. No matter how many times she repeated the pattern, it was identical and perfect each time.

She seemed to find a certain calmness about it, and Mono had to admit it was hypnotizing to watch. 

After several minutes, she had finished a clean mat of white webbing. She stepped back and surveyed it thoughtfully. Finding some infinitesimal mistake, she frowned and reached out to pull part of it up.

“Wait, hold on-!”

She looked up. 

“It looks amazing the way it is; you don’t have to redo it-“

Six put her hand down and stared at him, her dark pupils nearly eclipsing the yellow of her eyes. Did she think a male wouldn't have an opinion on her web’s appearance? 

Mono slung his pack over his shoulders and tread closer: a walk that started with relaxed confidence, and ended with a degree of cautiousness, watching her for any sign of objection. She made none. 

“Look at how even those lines are!” They really _were_ \- he had no idea what it was she found imperfect about it. “I’ve never really thought about it before,” Mono admitted, with a shameful wince, “but you really put a lot of thought into the whole nest, didn’t you?” The more he looked at it, the more he noticed how _all_ of the nest shared the same distinct patterning, layered over and over. Did all females weave the same way, or was it different for each one? He had to admit he didn’t know. It had to have taken Six forever, though, to make all of it.

“Plus,” he continued, daring to settle himself down on the new webbing. “It’s really cozy.”

She gently dragged her nails over the newly woven web, as if considering it in a new light. 

She didn’t pull it up or destroy it, but went back to staring. He was pretty sure she was just astonished, but it was getting a touch ominous. Maybe he should move on. 

“I brought you a gift,” he announced hurriedly. “I didn’t have a chance to show you before. Do you want to see?” 

Six blinked. Maybe… maybe she was still recovering? Hopefully she didn’t take issue with him sitting in her sleeping spot. No - if she did, he was sure she’d make it much clearer than a bit of staring. 

Mono unzipped his pack and pulled out the first, largest item: a metal music box with a crank on the top. It had taken him forever to make one that he was satisfied with. Soft thuds signaled Six’s approach. Ah, curious still. 

Mono concealed his smile, and wrapped his arms around the music box when she reached for it. “I want to show you how it works.”

She put her hand down. Her back three legs folded into something close to a sit. 

Mono twisted the crank, and then its haunting melody filled the air. His cheeks flushed hot. He hoped she liked it. He spent a long time mulling over the sort of song to make, and settled on something that was both eerie and calming. Note after note played, with Six not making a response one way or another, until the final note faded. 

“I’m not much of a song-writer,” Mono started. Six’s huge hand descended. He yelped as her claws nearly raked right through his shirt; scrambling backwards, he abandoned the music box. Which ended up being for the best: that’s precisely what she had gone in to grab. 

Six cranked the box, and let the medley play again. 

Mono took a few seconds to breathe. 

Six was more than happy to give him time. Her attention was wholly absorbed by the music box. 

When he got his heart rate under control and sat up, the song had finished, and Six cranked it to play a third time. This time, as it played, her long fingers tapped the metal can, keeping the tempo. She tapped all over it the box, even after the song ended, as if hunting for the right place to hit to mimic its particular chime. She even picked it up, and tapped at the bottom, seemingly mystified. 

“The sound comes from the inside,” Mono explained. “A little metal tine hits bumps, and every bump is a new note - but don’t rip it apart! It won’t work if you pull it apart.”

Six set it down. She had the most curious of expressions on her face, and it was a delight to see her behaving with - well, a sort of childish interest. He had thought something like this might engage her; pretty-sounding, but hard to work out without knowing what the inside looked like. It was a puzzle, like the lighter, just of a different kind. 

Six played the song twice more, and each time tapped her fingers along the box. He couldn't help noticing that sometimes she was a bit rough and scratched the surface, but that was likely inevitable with her… If he had to fix it sometime, and hand it back, he wouldn't mind. What mattered was she enjoyed it.

After listening to her satisfaction, she carried the music box to the very back of her funnel. A keepsafe, maybe? He hoped so. 

Now she was digging around in her pockets - out came the lighter, which she held out to Mono. 

“No, that was a gift. You don’t have to give it back to me.”

Six held it out to his face. 

“Really, it’s okay-“

Sighing, Six carefully arranged the lighter in her hands with the practice of one who has now done it many times, and then she flicked the wheel. Spark, spark, spark. Yet no fire.

“It’s out of lighter fuel,” he mused. She held it out, and this time he took it. “Yeah. I don’t have replacements with me, but I can get it filled up again for you.”

Six churred, eyes crinkling in delight. 

Mono was more than happy to get her as much replacement lighter fluid as she wanted (maybe just not all at once), but it would mean another trip to town. He needed to go anyway - if not to that one, then another; any that might have more bandages in stock. The second closest was a good day’s walk away, though, even he made decent time. The faster he could treat Six’s wound the better; at the same time, with a two day wait already, he’d rather stick around Six longer and make sure she was all right.

He closed his bag. Now that they had a moment of down time, there was something he’d been curious about. 

“Speaking of when we uh, first met…” He trailed off as she stepped above him, massive bulk passing overhead, and then in a series of small thumps, settled herself down behind him.

Mono stilled. She was half curled around him, now, head resting on her front set of limbs, the right side of the second snaked loosely around him and splaying in front of him. Not touching, but close enough to touch. Her breathing was more noticeable like this, her hair fluttering with each breath, her ribs expanding and contracting mere inches from his back. He could even _hear_ it, the deep whooshing of oxygen in lungs that must be larger than he was. 

“Um.” Mono fought to remember what he had been talking about. Heat scrawled across his cheeks. She… she was almost _cuddling_ him. No, he was overthinking this. It was just a comfortable place to lay. Comfortable, that was all. To be practically wrapped around him and gazing at him soulfully - 

What was _wrong_ with him?

The seconds zoomed by, Six waiting for his next words. Mono managed to collect himself, taking in measured, steady breaths. Focus. He wanted to ask…. Oh, right. 

“Speaking of when we first met,” he tried again, keep his voice level, “Did it work? Last time, I mean. Our, uh, mating.” He swallowed his spit nervously. It was something he had long wondered. Was his mating fruitful? Was he adequate, or their pairing favorable? 

Six rumbled a laugh. There was another of her smiles, pulling all the way to her ears and showing off a mouthful of barely-contained teeth. She nodded. 

Warmth bloomed in him. “Good.” He settled his back against her side, closing the gap. “Good. And they all lived?”

She nodded, still smiling away. 

Mono smiled, too. He knew Six would protect them, more fiercely than anyone else could. 

His hand drifted out, and touched the fabric of her coat. Beneath his hand, her body radiated heat, rising and falling with each breath. The joint of one leg was oh so close. It felt taboo, touching her like this. It was such a tender gesture. Not the frenetic, pacifying petting one did to discourage a monster from eating. Not the short, desperate jerks needed to spread one’s seed. Not even the diligence he’d shown in bandaging her leg, which was born out of necessity for her survival.

No, this wasn’t any of those things. It was more like when he had combed out her hair, although even that had been somewhat objective. This had no reason at all. Not to save her, not to mate her. No reason. He just wanted to touch her. 

Mono placed his hand just above the joint, and shivered. From the sheer size of her legs, it was so easy to tell how strong she was. He skimmed his palm up and down her leg, as far as he could reach - which wasn’t far at all, especially sitting. She permitted it, watching curiously. It occurred to him that all this was as new to her as it was him. What a strange, warm thought that was. She had undoubtedly mated others before him. But nobody would be weird enough to hang around. 

Mono faltered, and stopped his motions. Weird indeed. 

That was when Six shifted; a frontmost hand reached toward him: Mono flinched and froze in place. She paused, giving him time to adjust. Then reached out again. He held his breath while her claws skimmed through his hairline, and along his cheek. Not unlike drawing the point of a sword along delicate flesh. Down his throat her claw descended, then down his chest. He swallowed hard when she trailed over the bulge in his pants, and along the inside of his thighs. 

Before she could pull away, he grabbed her finger. There was a pause, where the both of them gazed in shock at each other. He hadn’t intended to, just - he hadn’t wanted her to stop. Breath shaking, he caressed along her long, spindly fingers. Along her nails, too, each hard and smooth as diamond.

Six made a soft noise. More fingers crept in on his other side, curling possessively over his belly and his thigh. He writhed a bit under the ministrations. So easily she could be a cage for him, but her attention was naught but benign and exploratory. Frightening as it was, he craved more. His grip tightened on her, tugging her closer in the hopes he might get both her hands on him.

Suddenly, her fawning touches were gone. She scrambled up to her feet, and Mono yelped at the sudden change. What was going on - had he done something wrong?

Squinting against the sun, he peered upwards. No, Six wasn’t even looking at him. Her eyes were intently fixed on something far beyond what Mono could see, with the rim of the nest in his way. 

Something must have touched the outskirts of her web. Something was coming.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to the reviewers for the idea about Mono and Six visiting the town!

“What is it?” Mono whispered. Some sort of forest animal? He’d assumed that any animal’s instincts would keep them far away from her web.

Six remained alert nonetheless, although she must have discerned something about the creature approaching, because she sagged tiredly on her seven legs. Not something large enough for her to be worried, then, but also not something going away on its own.

Great. Mono tugged at his trousers, arranging the fabric into a less constricting position. His cheeks were still hot, as was his groin. In a mere few seconds, they’d gone from conversation to - to something else. His skin tingled where her nails had skimmed along it. He could still feel the phantom press of her fingerpads against his thighs and stomach. 

Mono silently cursed whatever had interrupted. He wanted to invite Six back. See if she might want to resume… whatever it was they’d been doing. 

The moment was lost, though.

Mono knew the culprit a few moments later. A well-tanned hand slapped down over the apex of the web. The man it belonged to clambered up after; lean, curly hair, a body accentuated by his grey cloak, black clothes, and a gleaming brooch resembling the shell of a beetle. 

Ah. It was obvious why he was here.

The man bowed low. He hadn’t noticed Mono yet, deep in the darkness of Six’s funnel. He had eyes only for Six. Mono swallowed down an ugly sliver of jealousy: there was no point being possessive. The man was here to make his case, and it was Six’s choice whether she wanted him or not. That was how the world worked; the unusual cog here was Mono being privy to the whole process.

What was he supposed to do? Leave? Mono chewed his lip, but didn’t move. There was the injury on Six’s side he hadn’t been able to tend, yet. Anyway, Six wouldn’t mate, would she? Mono had no illusions about himself being the poorer candidate of the two men, but practically speaking, Six was recovering from a brutal fight, and barely had the energy to look after herself, much less any offspring. Even without those factors, she was known for being harshly selective about her mates.

Mono was surprised, then, when she laid down, and rested her cheek on one hand to watch. She was giving him a chance. 

All right. Mono would wait and see. If Six agreed to mate, only then would Mono have to leave. Regardless of whatever mysterious feelings she harbored for him, he wasn’t going to test his luck against the hormones surrounding pregnancy, nor the dangerous protectiveness that came withs everything that followed it. 

The man wasted no time launching into his self advertisement. Two swords emerged from behind his back, and these glinted and flashed in the sun while he nimbly sprang along the rim of the nest. Every angle perfected, every swipe against an unseen foe powerful and flawless. By the looks of it, this was a man who had mated more than once before, and had his performance down to an immaculate art.

Observing the routine from within a nest was very different than witnessing a practice one within the village, Mono had to admit. Men spent years refining their techniques, all to come in and wow a female at first interaction. But seeing it happen here, the whole thing lacked context. This guy had just - shown up, and pitched right into seduction. No words, no…

Mono shook himself. Of course there were no words: most didn’t talk to their mates. It wasn’t a necessary part of a sexual union. He could ruminate forever about how odd it was thatsomething so standard was bothering him, but instead he sympathized with Six, and her infamous kill rate. Year after year of this would make anyone bored, especially a monster with her level of experience, intelligence, and age. 

As if sensing his thoughts, Six peered back into the funnel to meet Mono’s regard. She nudged her head towards the potential suitor, still deep in his routine, and then rolled her eyes. If that wasn’t a _look what I have to deal with?_ then Mono didn’t know what was.

He nearly choked on his spit. 

_Go on, give the guy a chance -_ Mono beckoned at her. 

She sighed and swung her gaze forwards again. The man hadn’t lost a beat in her distraction, moving into a frankly incredibly demonstration of his flexibility. Slooowly Six peered at Mono over her shoulder. This time, she was wearing a dramatic, long pout, filtered through the strands of her hair. Mono bit into his hand to stop the laughter. She was impossible. 

Once more Mono beckoned at the man currently trying to woo her. At least eat him and put him out of his misery! 

Said man, though, had at last noticed that Six’s attention was lacking. Following her line of sight, he spotted Mono. His jaw dropped. 

“What in the gods’ names are you doing-!?”

“Um.” Mono realized he didn’t really know how to answer that question. 

“Get out of there, you - how are you still alive-?!”

_Crunch._

The man’s body dangled, twitching, from Six’s jaws. Her patience, it seemed, had expired. She shifted her teeth and they sluiced through flesh and bone; Mono looked away, nauseous. He wanted to say that she didn’t have to eat him. But the truth was, if men tried their hand at seducing her, then it was no more Mono’s business when she said no as it was when she said yes. Death was the risk one took when they attempted mating, especially with the reputed most fearsome of monsters.

Six cherished her meal: eyes half-lidded, teeth working through bone and sinew, digestive juices melting flesh into long gooey strands. 

Yuck. Mono had seen this process only once before, but at that time, he’d been so focused on surviving himself that he hadn’t lingered on it. If nothing else, Mono was glad that Six was getting an appropriately sized meal. She’d need the nutrition to build up her strength.

He for one would rather not watch. She might be at that for a while. 

Mono padded over to the two glittering swords left behind. The blades were pristine steel, with an edge whose sharpness unnerved him. A weapon like this could slice through skin like butter.It could slice off the bits of chewed flesh clinging to Six’s side, too. Mono’s mouth went dry. 

That was a conversation they needed to have soon: convincing her to let him excise the loose skin and meat. It was going to hurt, and badly, but it was a necessary evil. 

Not now, though. Let her enjoy her meal. She was liking it infinitely more than the paltry ones Mono had offered, and he didn’t blame her: birds and rabbits probably couldn't compare. Giving her a wide berth just in case it caught her fancy to have two dinners, Mono meandered back to his bag and pawed through it. 

Out came a pen and paper. While he was waiting, he may as well prepare a list of all things he needed from the village, so he didn’t forget anything.

Let’s see… Bandages, yes. Antibiotic: needed that, too. Mono scribbled those down. He tapped the pen in thought. Thread and needle; those would come in handy if Six let him repair her coat. Lighter fluid, of course: Six’s wouldn't be happy if he forgot replacements.

_Crunch. Crack. Sllluurp. Crunch._

Mono pressed his lips together. Focus. Hmm, a comb would be nice, if she let him brush out her hair again… Mono wrote it, and then crossed it out. It felt too much like planning for another tender moment. Heat crawling up his throat, he added it again.

Okay, next… another canteen, so he didn’t have to go to the creek as often? Or was that planning too ambitiously again? He’d already been lucky enough, being allowed to stay around her nest and tend to her: something not afforded to most men, if any. There was no telling when she’d think better of having him around. Well. It’s not like he wouldn't use an extra one anyway - 

Hair tickled the back of his neck. Mono swatted at it impatiently, only to find himself swatting a curtain of coarse hair. He stiffened. Slowly he looked up. There she was, peering curiously down at him. Limbs were stuck out of her teeth, acid-melted into deformity. 

He heard muted chewing, but couldn't see any external mouth parts moving. That was… new. 

Mono swallowed. What was she doing?

She leaned in. Black hair draped heavily over his shoulders and pooled in his lap. Its weight had him at once uneasy and heated.

“Um-“ Oh, oh! She was looking at his notebook. Mono exhaled in relief. No imminent plans to make him second dinner, then. “I’m putting a list together for the - uh- hey!”

Without the least bit of regard for what he had been doing, Six groped after the pen.

“Hold on, what are you - Six -?”

She got one finger curled around the pen and yanked it out of his hands. “Hey, I need that-“  Her huge hand half obscured whatever she was doing with the waggling pen. Mono flailed and squirmed until he was out from under her, and clutching the notebook tight. 

She had left aggressively thick black lines and loops that often flew right past the borders. He looked back and forth between the notebook and her blank expression. She sucked the last remains of her suitor into her mouth, and wiped her lips innocently.

“Were you… trying to write?” Mono asked, bewildered. Did she know _how_ to write? Six nodded, and emitted a clicking chirp-like noise that he’d never heard from her before. 

Stunned, Mono laid the notebook, opened to a clean page, on the ground, and stepped back. She immediately dove into the task of clumsily dragging the pen all over the paper.

Mono’s initial shock dwindled into a calmer, sadder fondness. No, Six didn’t know how to write. She was only making nonsensical scribbles and scrawls all over the notebook, which was so utterly tiny under her hand. Several times she dropped the pen and had to struggle to pick it up. She didn’t know how to write, but she was having a blast trying. 

Soon there was no room left on the pages (she’d torn a few, and Mono decided he needed to add _new notebook_ to his list), but Six kept at it, as if trying to fill it all with black. 

“Six,” he called softly. 

She paused. Her eyes gleamed through her stream of hair. 

“Can I show you something?” He held out his hand for the pen.

She wavered. On one hand, the joys of scribbling madly on paper. On the other hand, something new from Mono. Reluctantly, she dropped the pen. She’d probably been aiming for his hand, but it bounced to the ground. Mono grabbed it and the notebook, flipping past the ruined pages. 

In the biggest possible font, he wrote and spoke, “S…. I…. X.”

He held it aloft for her to see. “Six. That’s what your name looks like.”

She leaned in until one eye was inches away from the letters. Studying each one. Then, fast enough that Mono had to calm his frenzied heartbeat, her legs were a flurry of motion and she was up and over the rim of her nest before he knew what had happened. 

Uh. Where was she going? Mono jogged after, but it took him much longer to crest the top. He shielded his eyes. There she was, a massive blotch of yellow, clinging to the side of her nest. Her front hands were busy at work once more, dividing out strands of silk.

Mono watched in amazement as she began to braid them together, and once she had three braids, she braided _those_ together, and so on until she had one long strand beautifully interwoven. Her web mat earlier had already been so complicated, and this was much more so, requiring the four frontmost limbs. This left her squatting on the remaining three, except when she lost balance and dropped a hand or two. Mono winced. The arm opposite her wounded one was trembling pretty badly. 

“You can save whatever you’re doing for later,” he urged worriedly. 

She ignored him, and began tacking her line of woven silk onto the wall of her nest, shaping it into a curve, and then - 

It clicked. She was writing her name on her nest. Only she was getting the ’s’ backwards.

Mono whistled and held out the notebook. “Like this!” If she was going to do it anyway, he might as well help. He couldn't help finding it endearing, anyway.

Six squinted at the page. Her hands hastened to rectify the mistake. 

Little by little, she braided countless lines of silk, and glued them on with more webbing. Just like before, Mono found himself nearly hypnotizing watching. 

By the time she was starting up her ‘x,’ the excited energy with which she had begun the task was waning, and her physical limitations crept back in. Her back three limbs were none too happy with all the extra weight she’d leveraged on them, visibly shaking from exertion.

“C’mon, Six,” Mono pleaded. “You should rest. You can finish later.” 

_Murr_ went Six. Mono sighed. If he had known she’d take to this task with such a single-minded determination, he wouldn't have shown her her name, at least not until she was healthier. At least Six was having fun, despite her body’s protests. 

She glued on the final bit of the ‘x.’ Now the nest was clearly labeled S I X in a surprisingly elegant, even fashion, much unlike her scrawls with the pen. Weaving was her forte. She could make letters she’d never seen before look nice. 

Mono let her know how impressive he found the lettering, and it was with a satisfied look in her eye that she returned inside the nest and promptly curled up to doze off. 

Mono raked fingers through his hair. What a day. They’d gotten a lot done. Disinfecting her injuries, bandaging her mutilated limb, food for both of them, weaving, and - 

And…

Mono flushed. Whatever it was the two of them had been doing before. He touched his cheek, where her claws had skimmed, and then moved down his throat, his chest, his groin, following the very same path she had. There his hands dropped and he was left, shivering faintly in the cool air, signaling the approach of evening. 

His gaze drifted to her. Seven limbs tucked close to her body. Large eyes closed. Heavy breaths rising and falling. Because of her, these past few days had been absolutely surreal. Now another night was coming in, another night where she wasn’t chasing him out or eating him alive. He wanted badly to touch her hand, or her hair, and whisper something to her, a _good night,_ or a _thank you,_ or something of that ilk. The desire was so strong it made him almost dizzy.

Mono forced himself away. Better not risk waking her. She had a lot to recover from. Full of restless energy, he collected his pen and notebook and wrote out his list again, this time including ‘a second notebook’ on the list, given how battered his now was. He wouldn't set off tonight - traveling at night was both stupid and pointless - but rather first thing in the morning. Which meant, restless or not, he needed to get some sleep. 

At a safe but regrettable distance from Six, he settled in, and folded his hands behind his head, watching the stars begin to gleam brighter and brighter while the sky around them darkened. He wondered about Six until sleep pulled him under. 

Mono was busy by daybreak, nibbling from his stores of snacks, and packing up his notebook and other miscellany. The journey would be a long one (a good nine hours with a reasonable number of breaks) and he wanted to make it to an inn for the night. 

Sprawled on her belly, limbs akimbo, Six sleepily monitored his bustling. He was going to miss her. 

“Just like I said, I’ll be back before three days are up,” he told her matter-of-factly. She was well enough at this point to catch her own food and retrieve her own water. It worried him, leaving her for so long, but if she had the energy to weave her name into her nest, then he trusted she had the energy to go for a bit of a hunt if needed. Not to mention her prey item from yesterday would last her a while yet. 

Mono slung his pack onto his back. There was nothing more to it, then. He couldn't delay any longer. He’d swing by the creek to refill his canteens, and then he’d set off. 

He fingered the straps of his pack and cast Six a shy glance. He struggled to think of an appropriate goodbye, and instead clumsily asked, “you’ll let me in the nest when I come back, right? You won’t eat me?”

Six made a noncommittal noise. Here he was, being sentimental, and she hardly seemed to care he was leaving. “All right.” The purpose of the trip was getting stuff to treat her last, worst wound. He hoped she would let him in. 

Mono climbed out of her nest, now well-practiced at yanking off the webbing that stuck to him (even if he felt bad now, destroying what she had so mindfully built).

He hadn’t made it far at all when a very suspicious pattern of soft thumps had him turning around. There was Six, staring expectantly at him. She seemed to be having an easier time walking this morning, her hind limbs managing better now that they weren’t having to support most or all of her weight. 

“Are you going to get water, too?” Mono asked. Six bobbed her head up and down. A tiny smile appeared on his face. When he turned back towards the forest, his step was a little lighter. He’d get to spend just a hair’s more time with her, and that was nothing to frown at. 

While he refilled his canteens at the stream, Six dunked her head in and closed her eyes. He had both canteens refilled and returned to his bag, while Six was still absorbed drinking. She really could do that for a _long_ time.

“You take care of yourself, okay?” Mono told her, knowing that she would. She didn’t acknowledge him. Too busy re-hydrating. 

Well. Time to go off on his own, then. 

Mono trudged onwards, reluctant to see her yellow coat grow smaller and smaller and vanish into the maze of trees. The sounds of the woods absorbed him wholly. Soft rustles of leaves ever shifting in the wind. A bird’s call, _fwee chirr chirr chirr fwee!_ And the answer, _chirr chirr fwee!_ _fwee!_ The quiet snap of sticks under his feet, and brush rustling with tiny creatures skittering along. Then, the distant _thud thud_ of swiftly moving feet.

Wait…

Mono turned back around. Tree tops shook violently. Birds burst into flight from their disturbed branches. Yellow flashed betwixt the trunks. 

Was she…?

Six came skittering into sight, hands churning over the ground, shoving off trees, and snapping branches. She came to a stop behind Mono, her raincoat covered with leaves and twigs. 

Mono laughed, disbelieving. She was following him. “I’m going to the village, remember?” He re-iterated. 

She nodded. When he made no sign of moving, she nudged his back as if to say, _yes, now go on!_ The nudge was gentle for her, but it had him yelping and barely catching himself before eating moss. 

Spluttering, “Six, I… you can’t come to the village with me.”No monster had ever stepped foot inside a village of men since… well, probably never, except that one time one of them had veritably snapped, invaded a nearby town, and razed the whole thing to the ground while eating everything in sight. That hadn’t happened in Mono’s lifetime, but it had a powerful enough effect that ever since, villages were abandoned if a female moved territory close enough. The idea of _purposefully_ bringing a female into one… Mono shook his head. 

“Three days,” he reminded her. “It’ll only be three days, and I’ll be right back.”

Six blinked at him. 

“Okay.” Mono began to back away.

She shuffled with him.

“No, this is where you stay here,” Mono insisted. Six nodded. 

Okay, good. They were on the same page. Except as soon as he started again, there were heavy crunches of foliage squashed beneath her feet.

Mono put his hands on his hips. “Six.”

She smiled, all teeth.

“You can’t come into the village.”

That smile didn’t waver.

Mono pursed his lips. “C’mon, back to your nest-“ He stomped over and pushed at her wrist. “Go go go-“ His feet slid in mud. She didn’t move. “C’mon Si- _iih_!” Fingers wrapped around his torso. The ground dropped away, his legs kicking wildly, and then he was deposited on her back. Oh shit, not this again - 

Mono seized a wrinkle in the fabric and clung tight, his center of balance low. _Don’t fall off don’t fall off_. “Six-“ he squeaked. She was on the move. Only the forest here was denser, and the ride wasn’t a smooth one. She ducked, weaved, and sometimes half crawled up trunks, all the while Mono was swearing up a storm and praying for his dear life.

“We need to get you a saddle or something-“ Mono cried. 

Six squealed in offense. 

“You’re the one who keeps throwing me on your back! Do you know how slippery it is? There’s nothing to hold on to!”

His pleas were for naught. Six had made up her mind, and she wasn’t interested in compromising. They were going to the village together. Although she didn’t know the way, as Mono learned a few minutes in. 

“Left, left!” He shouted. She adjusted course. Mono sighed. This was how it was gonna be, huh? If nothing else, she at least made much faster time than he ever would. Even short one leg, and impeded by the forest, she scuttled swiftly over the ground. Her long strides skipped most of the terrain Mono would have had to wrestle with. 

“Just don’t eat anyone, okay?” Mono yelled into the whipping wind. “It’s one thing if they come to your nest, but we’re not going to the village so you can have a meal!” Six hummed; he felt the vibration through her back. He couldn't tell if that was a yes or a no, but he wasn’t going to get a more definitive answer out of her.

Six made quick time indeed. 

The trip would have taken nearly all day for Mono. With Six spanning the distance, the wooden roofs came into sight just under two hours. 

“No eating-“ Mono hissed a reminder.

They made it onto a dirt road, two wagon’s worth wide, and wound their way closer via that path. 

“No throwing!” He yelped when she slid him from her back. To his immense relief, she gently deposited him on the ground. The rest of the way she trailed behind him, head swinging one direction to the other. It occurred to him that this would be a novel experience for her, too. She would have never seen a village, certainly not up close. 

The dirt road opened up into a large clearing - not quite as large as the one around Six’s nest, but sizable nonetheless - with five or six rows of hovels and shops, all with the expected paraphernalia; drinking wells, hitching posts, horses stamping and squishing their tails, the banging of an anvil. This was the biggest town for days. If anyplace had the right supplies, he’d find it here. 

“Maybe stay back a little?” Mono suggested. It was a futile effort. Her eyes were round as she took in all wooden structures and activity, and she kept pace at his heels.

They crossed the threshold, Six ducking beneath the welcome archway.

Almost immediately yelps, cries, and startled banging started up, as more and more folks noticed Six. “It’s okay, it’s okay-“ Mono called out, raising his hands in a show of harmlessness. “I just need some supplies-“

Six spied a wooden water trough with horses gathered around it. 

“Wait-“ Mono began. Too late. The horses reared and ripped free of their tethers when Six’s head dipped down and, just like in the creek, she dunked practically half her face into the trough to drink. Mono sighed. Well, at least she found water, and didn’t eat any of the horses.

All the racket brought more men banging out of their homes and shops and flooding into the streets, until it was a whole crowd gathered, staring in a blend of terror and disbelief. 

Any hope Mono had for subtlety was absolutely dashed. 

Whispers, “is that _Six_?” and a series of internal debate about the subject.

“You’re the naked guy!” someone blurted.

“My gods, he wasn’t lying-“

Mono rubbed the back of his neck. He felt a little bad, the way folks were blubbering and whispering. Nobody seemed to want to get close to Six. “Yeah, I am the naked guy,” he admitted awkwardly. “But um - as you can see, I’ve got clothes now, and I really need to get some supplies. Where’s the general store?”

“That’s Six!” Someone was brave enough to call out loudly.

“Yes.” Mono couldn't deny the swell of pride admitting that gave him, nor the funny little turn his stomach did. She was Six. Not his Six, but Six, and she’d not eaten him, she’d come with him, and done… done strange things with him. Mono shook off his thoughts. Stupid, focus. They were here for a reason, not for fantasizing.

He glanced over. Six was wholly uninterested in her new fan club, much too absorbed in drinking. “I promise she won’t eat anyone-“ Mono could promise no such thing, but he was putting his faith in her, “but please don’t bother her. I couldn't get her to stay at the nest.”

Everybody was either staring at Six or staring at Mono like he’d grown five heads and begun speaking an alien language. 

“Ha…” Somehow this was far more fiddly than he had imagined. “The general store, please…?”

A suspicious screeching of metal interrupted his words. He spun around.

Six had her upper body perched on top of a sturdy cabin, one arm outstretched to bat at a weather vane.

“Six!” 

She flicked her pupils towards him.

“Please don’t destroy anything.” 

Grumbling, she retreated and put all seven legs back on solid ground.

The interaction inspired a slew of mumbled marveling. If Mono thought they were looking at him weirdly before, then… yeah, there was more of that. A lot more of that. 

“Store?” Mono tried.

One hand slowly raised from the crowd. “I…. I’m the store owner.”

“Awesome. Then you’re the guy I need to talk to.”

Mono squirmed through the crowd; they parted for him, staring like he was King Midas or something. He ducked into the cool interior of the shop, praying that he wouldn't walk back out to find Six eating her way through the village, or squashing homes underfoot. 

Within the building there were barrels lined up along the walls with all kinds of goods inside; rope, foodstuffs, clothing, hunting gear. Mono dug out his notebook.

“Just a trip to the town, huh?” The shopkeeper said, voice wavering. 

“Yeah. I’ll need… um, a couple needles and black thread… A canteen, whatever you’ve got is fine-“

“That really Six out there?”

Mono looked up. The shopkeeper hadn’t even begun searching for the requested items. “Yeah,” Mono said, another funny wiggle in his stomach. He wanted to stay objective, though. It felt weird, talking about her, like bragging, because how could he not be overwhelmingly thrilled about her?

“You _mated_?” The disbelief and shock could have been a touch less overwrought. 

“Well - not this year, but - look, I just need a few things-“ 

“Not this year-!?” He spluttered, and then, recovering, “sure, sure-“ He dug around drawers, pulling objects out left and right.

“I need as much first aid stuff as you’ve got - bandages, ointment, anything-“

“How’d you do it?”

“I… don’t know. I didn’t exactly-“

“How’d you keep her from eating you-?”

Mono was preparing to answer equally vaguely (he couldn't explain what had happened, only that it had) when the glass of the shop’s window exploded inward, making both Mono and the shopkeeper jump. One almond-shaped yellow eye with a pupil like a thin line peered in, as if saying, _hello, is there any trouble in here?_

“Sorry,” Mono squeaked. “I’ll - I’ll pay to replace that, I swear-“

The man started hunting for what Mono needed at top speed. 

He had dumped everything (a shell comb sitting on the very top of the bundle) onto the counter before a horrible realization dawned on Mono. 

_He had no money._

He’d blown everything he’d carried with him on the last run to the store. “Fuck,” Mono swore loudly.

“Is something wrong?” The shopkeeper asked, nudging frantically through the pile of stuff. “I thought this was everything -“

“No, no - it’s not that.” Mono groaned. Of all the times. “I don’t have any money right now-“

“Oh-“ Anger flashed across the shopkeeper’s face, but it was swiftly replaced by meekness when he glanced at the still-occupied window. “House discount. All of it for free.”

“No-“ Mono shook his head. He couldn’t outright steal from this man, but he needed the supplies ASAP, and he wasn’t going to be getting money soon, either… “Look, I’ll take it all now, but I swear I’ll pay you back for it. _And_ the window. And interest, too-“

The man shuffled him right out of the shop, Mono struggling to precariously balance all his new goods. Six happily met him at the entrance, and, seeing his trouble, grabbed the collection of items and stuffed them into her raincoat pockets. Of course, that entailed her nails flying terrifyingly and unexpectedly close to his face for a hot second, and Mono ended up flopped on his butt. 

Nobody laughed, although there were dozens of eyes watching. 

“Ha, thanks-“ he told Six, genuinely (after all, she couldn't help she was too huge to be easily grabbing things from people), then to the others, “And um, thank you guys, for - for being patient; we’ll just - be on our way- Six?”

She must’ve been enjoying making a show, because instead of grabbing him like she normally did, she held out her hand flat, palm up. Mono blinked at her. She grinned toothily. 

“Oh, so now you play nice,” he laughed. All right, he wasn’t going to complain about a more pleasant transport. He crawled onto her hand. Up up up. She gently deposited him between her shoulder blades, and then they were off. 

Mounted up on her back, wind whistling through his hair, Mono couldn’t help but catch her infectious amusement. Maybe it was childish, but he gave into the urge and half turned, waving wildly at the array of stunned men. “See you later!”” He yelled after them. 

One particularly strong jolt from Six’s uneven gait had him quickly returning both hands to the wrinkle in her coat, but now a grin was spread wide across his face. 

Okay. That… that _had_ been a little fun. 


	6. Chapter 6

For the last three-ish miles, Six suffered a rocking limp. Mono had suspected that the limb lateral to her injured one was weakening with the extra weight it had to bear, and the way she was moving now corroborated that theory. 

By the time the nest came into sight, her gait was not much more than a six-legged crawl. Mono rubbed soothingly between her shoulder blades. He wanted to blame himself for letting her come along, but the truth was, he didn’t think he would have been able to do anything to stop her. 

With gargantuan effort, Six hauled herself back up into the nest. Her lower half wobbled. 

“Wait wait wait-“ 

Nope. It crashed down, shortly followed by her front end. Only by fisting the fabric of her raincoat tightly did he manage to not go flinging overboard. Phew. Safe. She didn’t seem like she’d be moving anytime soon, or helping Mono to dismount, so he inched across her back and slid belly-down over her ribs. His feet hit solid ground, jarring his knees. It was probably the safest landing he could hope for. Mono trotted out from the tangle of her legs, and warily surveyed her mountainous form. 

All right. They had all the supplies. At this point, there was no reason to wait any longer.

Mono assumed he would have to ask to treat her final injury. He assumed he would have to explain carefully, placatingly, and then pray that she wouldn't make him her meal. But his eyes met her sleepy half-lidded ones. An understanding solemnly passed between them. She knew the reason he’d gone to the village. She knew what he had to do. 

Emitting a deep sigh, Six drew all the supplies from her pockets and deposited them in front of him. Then, she underwent the arduous process of laying completely flat on her belly (the only way to put the wound at a height he could reasonably reach). Given the configuration of her limbs, she normally had at least part of herself hefted off the ground, even when laying down. Practically speaking, he could see why. Once she had maneuvered herself flat, legs awkwardly splayed out (wow, they looked much longer like that), he could tell that this position was one she couldn't easily rise from. It was vulnerable. 

Mono’s insides shriveled. He was going to have to hurt her, at a time when she was least equipped to protect herself. 

Nor was it a quick process. Not in the least. The other monster had bitten in right above Six’s hip, and taken a lot of Six with it. After some time reminding himself to not freak out, Mono had to cut away all the loose mangled flesh that hung off her, a task every inch as awful as he had suspected. Having to slice the blade _into_ her skin made him feel sick from top to bottom. She weathered the pain with only the softest of groans, and the sparsest of twitches, to such a point where Mono dared to hope it wasn’t hurting as much as he feared. 

Then he noticed the tremulous tension in her spine, and that every single hand in sight was white-knuckled. It wasn’t that she _wasn’t_ in pain; she simply wasn’t verbalizing it. 

Somehow, that was much worse. 

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” he uttered like a litany, over and over again, and smoothed his palms over swollen, bruised flesh. Debriding, rinsing, cleaning. At the stage of applying bandages, he found he _still_ didn’t have enough. Mono groaned. At this point, his hands and forearms were spattered in blood, the thick smell of it nauseated him, and he didn’t know how much longer he could keep doing this. 

“We have no more bandages,” he uttered hollowly. Should they leave the wound open, as before? 

Six shifted. Her front legs struggled for purchase under her. 

“Wait-“ Mono started, worried that she was going to stand. But no - she propped herself up on her elbows, and reached into her mouth. Out came a strand of silk, which she divided and delivered to him via one long arm.

“…Is your silk sterile?”

She indicated nothing either way. Mono elected to trust her: she had survived all this time; she would know a thing or two. He grasped the silk (it was crazy how strong it felt in his hands), and with her supplying and him guiding, he managed to finish patching up. Instead of a glaring red gash above her hip, she now had a patch of webbing and bandages tidily attached. Not nearly as tidy as if Six herself had done it, but he wasn’t going to try to compete with a professional web spinner, and anyway, it was a very awkward angle for her. His work was functional, and that was the important thing. 

Apart from a few scrapes that would heal on their own, he’d tackled the two worst issues. It should only be upwards from here. 

Now, she needed some serious rest. He padded to her front and hesitated, a few feet from her tired, ashen face. He wanted to touch her cheek, and reassure her that the worst was over. Only, he’d never touched her face before. Her hair, yes, that lucky one time. Not her face, though. Not close to her venomous eyes, and her mouthful of teeth. 

He wanted to, badly. Even pale with pain and exhaustion, she was beautifully monstrous, and her skin looked so soft in contrast to all her sharp angles. Just… He wasn’t sure she’d permit it. 

Mono stood quietly, deliberating. She blinked sleepily at him. 

His courage failed. “Thanks for letting me take care of you,” he said instead, awkwardly. Then, with a more light-hearted spark in his eye, “I’ll be back. Gonna get clean and get you some food, all right?”

She let out a big sigh, ruffling his clothes even from his distance. He supposed that was acceptance. 

On the way out he once more passed the desiccated bodies of Six’s attackers, and he held his shirt over his nose. Hopefully she’ll feel up to tackling those soon, because the smell was getting worse… Gagging, he headed toward the creek. 

There he shed his clothes and waded into the deepest part for a thorough rinsing of both the fabric and himself. The sun streamed through the trees and speckled his bare shoulders. As he washed, his mind drifting to thoughts about Six joining him. Tracing her nails over his back. Maybe taking off her raincoat, too - 

The fantasy hit a cog there, because Mono’s mind flailed to work out the mechanics of how, exactly, Six removed her coat. He snorted. These were things his brain got caught up on, really? Oh well.

He waded out, hung his clothes on a branch to dry, and then splayed out on a rock to sun himself. 

There, he contemplated all the events of the past few days. 

Telling the truth, they had been the best moments of his entire life. For the good parts, obviously, like the heat of affection burning between them, or the fun of waving to the villagers as he rode out on Six’s back, or the quiet pleasant moments like watching her spin her web. But for the bad parts, too. Even when he was terrified, or worried sick, it all felt so much more real and imminent than the life he’d been living on his own. 

He exhaled, passing his fingertips over his closed eyes. It was an entirely different world from the one he knew, or thought he knew. Who would have imagined, he’d be a guest to Six’s home? Deep down, he entertained another fantasy - one of staying there forever. 

White clouds, which began the day as wisps, thickened into plump, roiling masses. Their color gradually darkened, and blotted out the sun, while the air lost its warmth and took on a cool, zingy scent - the quiet anticipation before a storm. Admittedly, Mono missed this transition because he’d dozed off, but the first cold droplets of Spring rain had him cursorily pulling his clothes back on and darting out.

He’d promised Six food - he should get that first. Mono high-tailed it towards his traps, zooming from one to the next. By the time he made it halfway through, the rain had begun in earnest, lashing through the leaves, soaking his clothes. So much for all the time invested in drying them! The ground turned to a muddy slurry under him. Still he ran on, breath huffing. He couldn't return without food. He’d promised. Finally, the second to last trap struck gold: a red-furred fox. Mono’s gut twisted a bit, seeing its sad wet body laying motionless in the snare, but it couldn’t be helped. He grabbed the carcass and flew back to Six’s nest, alternating between jogging and walking throughout most of the roughly mile and a half trip. 

By the time he clawed his way up the apex of the next, he was soaked completely through, hair slicked down, and he was miserably cold. 

Before him yawned Six’s funnel, shadowed into absolute dark from the weather, and there was no sign of hind nor hair of her. Wait - had she _left_ -?

Then two lurid amber eyes gleamed in the darkness. Phew. She was there. Just deep inside, away from the rain. 

Mono slogged his way to the funnel entrance, keeping a cautious eye on Six’s pupils. Currently, they were round and kind. They served as his only indication if her mood should turn unfavorable: the rain drowned out any sound of her movements, and the darkness disguised her body. 

“I b-brought f-food,” he announced over the storm, and held the sodden fox high above his head. It was ripped from his hand with lightening speed, and he _did_ hear the crunching of its bones. She almost gave him a heart attack every single time she grabbed food from him. Maybe he needed to start throwing it her way or something. 

Teeth chattering, Mono called out, “C-can I come in?”

Her eyes vanished and reappeared in a slow blink. That… wasn’t entirely an answer, and he was beginning to shiver in earnest. 

“Six, p- _please_ -“

A hand shot from the dark, and then Mono screamed as he was dragged by his ankle into the funnel. The darkness swallowed him whole. A vague, many-limbed shape eclipsed most of the already faint light the sky provided. Lightning cracked and hissed, thunder roared. 

In there, though, it was warm, like a cocoon. Fingers descended upon him, tugging at wet clothing. Mono squirmed and whimpered. He couldn't make her out in the dark, not properly, so for all intents and purposes it was as if disembodied hands were stripping him down. They were warm, though, and they were Six’s. Her eyes gleamed like two suns. She wasn’t there to hurt him. 

With Mono wriggling his assistance, she relieved him of all his clothes. In the creek, he’d felt strong and calm; in Six’s presence he abruptly felt like a naked grub. She didn’t seem to mind. She cast his clothes somewhere - where, Mono didn’t know, and then she was everywhere around him. He couldn't describe it. Didn’t know what part of her was touching him, only knew that no matter which way he shifted, she was there, always a couple inches away, and that she was _warm_ , too. Mono pressed himself to her skin. She radiated heat, building it up inside her funnel, protecting them both from the chill. Her breath fluttered over him.

“Thank you,” he whispered. He wasn’t sure if she heard or not. 

Together, they listened to the whipping rain, the booming thunder and crackling lightning. Little by little warmth returned to his fingertips and toes, and glowed in his chest. He reached out, and touched her skin. By the feel, it was her wrist - or at least, one wrist. Ever so slowly his eyes adjusted to the dark. Yes - her numerous limbs were curled around him, forming a protective enclosure. This included her second to last set of legs - the very ones most affected by the attempted usurping of her nest. 

“Six,” he said sternly. “You’re supposed to take it easy on those legs.”

Six grumbled, but huffily withdrew and rearranged herself. Rump towards the entrance of the funnel, she folded up her back four legs into a comfortable position. The next two looped behind Mono to maintain a warm shield, while her chin rested on her frontmost folded hands.

This allowed in more light. He could see the shadows and angles of her face in much greater detail. The hair trickling down her cheek, and pooling on the floor. Her nose, which he realized properly for the first time was surprisingly dainty and rounded for such a frightening creature. Her wide mouth, currently curved in a pointy smile. While he studied every feature, she, too, helped herself to a generous eyeful of him. She made no effort to conceal it, either, unashamedly appraising up and down the length of his body. 

The rolling thunder was by now distant, the rain calming to a rhythmic pitter-patter.

He didn’t hide himself. He was no longer self-conscious of his state of his undress: she wanted to look; he wouldn’t stop her. One hand cradled his bare back, extending from his shoulders all the way to his knees. Her thumb pad grazed over his belly and chest, rubbing circles that must have been so faint for her, but were deep and strong for him. When she passed over his diaphragm, air wooshed from his lungs. He couldn't tear his gaze from her face. 

Her thumb traveled lower, kneading at his arousal.

“W-wait-“ His hands shot down, gripping her thumb.

She paused, a brow quirking. 

“Can… can I touch you?” He was already touching her hand, but she understood what he meant. With pressure to his back, she guided him gently closer. Step by trembling step he obeyed. Soon he was mere inches away from her face, and utterly breathless. She wanted him this close. She wouldn't have agreed, otherwise: Six did nothing that she didn’t want to. Maybe she wanted something more. 

Powerful desire overcame any lingering fear, and he reached up daringly. His fingers lay, shaking faintly, upon her cheeks. A heartbeat hesitation, and he caressed along her cheek bones. Such smooth skin for such a deadly creature. Her eyes were so large, so close, and nearly completely black with her dilated pupils. Mono’s breath wavered. He was sandwiched between her hand and her face, which was at once arousing and frightening. But he trusted her, wholly.

She raised her head, nuzzling his chest with her mouth. It bloomed warmth all through his body, and a heady mesmerism in his mind. He _wanted_. What exactly, or why, he wasn’t sure. But he wanted. 

His lips brushed against her cupid’s bow, which bore two neat points. The touch of soft skin to soft skin had him shivering. Before he knew it, he had lightly bit down. When she jumped, he soothed his hands along the seam between her lips, and gentled his bite. She settled. Claws stroked up and down his back. Effortlessly, those same claws could tear his flesh to ribbons. She was so, so careful for them to not leave a single mark. 

His heart hammered almost painfully in his chest. 

Mono tilted his head, and bit another spot, an inch from the first. A low, rumbling purr started up. Blood was rushing through his ears, and he had no real idea what he was doing, or what the goal was, but he didn’t want to stop. Fingers curled between her lips. His knuckles brushed against teeth, each one larger than his hands. A shiver skated up and down his spine. The irony of his actions titillated him for reasons hard to explain. If she bit him, ever, even once, that would be it for him. Baiting her was a colossally bad idea, and an outsider might think that’s exactly what he was doing. But it didn’t feel like that. 

Mono bestowed more nibbles along her top lip. Most were delicate, but some were not. Each time he bit, Six twitched. She never pulled away, never protested. At that last one, he ground his teeth in hard, a near-suicidal high overtaking him.

Her lips parted in a sharp intake of breath. Her steady respiration had gotten uneven. Now there was a half moon void he was pressed against, and the faint smell of the bodies that had gone down her throat. Evidence of his actions, a ring of tiny teeth marks in her lip. He smoothed over it with tender kisses, like an apology.

With nervous hands he touched one tooth. Down its length he trailed, to the pointed lethal tip. They were _huge_. 

Six made a low, hungry noise. He reached past her teeth, flattening his palm to the floor of her mouth. So many strange bumps and ridges. So wet. Six’s breath was hot all the way up his arm. _What am I doing, what am I doing?_

He half knelt to delve deeper, her teeth by now hovering dangerously over his shoulder.

Then Six emitted a strangled, distressed noise. She yanked away, one tooth clipping his arm, and suddenly Mono’s back hit the ground. One hand smashed over him, pinning him down. If she put even one eighth of her weight on him, he’d be dead.His next view was of her large eyes and curtain of her hair looming over him. 

At first, he feared he’d made her angry. As the seconds sped by, he knew it was something else entirely.Her lips were tugged up in a feral grin, her eyes wide in a half-manic eagerness. He hadn’t gotten her angry; he’d gotten her excited. 

“Okay, okay, okay,” Mono whispered hoarsely. It was hard to breathe, with his lungs compressed under his palm. His bones ached. He forced the words out anyway, “Shh, it’s okay - I’m sorry, that was too much -“ Not that she seemed to mind, but he hadn’t meant to push her past her control, not even a bit. He could feel blood dripping down his cut arm - maybe it was best her hand was between that and her mouth.

Terrifying as his current position was, it boded well she hadn’t killed him yet. That evinced an immense restraint, in his opinion. 

Six’s breath rattled. Her fingers twitched. Sensual desire and hunger so easily twined for her. Wiggling, Mono managed to free one arm (his unhurt one, gratefully), and used his freedom to pet her long fingers. “Shh,” he susurrated, barely more than an exhale. “It’s okay. It’s okay.” Familiar fear crawled up and down his spine, but it was accompanied by an almost eerie calmness. He didn’t mind that he couldn’t move. That he was utterly helpless, or that her weight upon him, however slight, made him ache. He just wanted to help her settle. 

He murmured lulling words, while she shivered and stared and lusted. For blood or something else, it was hard to say. Likely both. Yearning energy danced along every line of her body. “It’s okay, it’s okay,” he continued, slow and tranquil. “Let’s just wind down, all right? Deep breaths.” 

She was intent upon his words, listening to them like a lifeline. It took a few minutes, but the exhilaration and need lining her body dwindled, replaced by relaxation.  Her pupils, which had slitted, widened again. The weight on him lifted; Mono sucked in lung-fulls of breaths in relief. Good. Good. Safe.

Outside, the rain was now little more than a drizzle. The sky remained dark with oncoming night.

Her head dipped down, and her silky black hair draped around him. Mono gripped some strands in his fist; she let herself be tugged close, lips brushing his belly. “You’re incredible, you know that?” He uttered fondly. She deserved to hear it, after all that. Any other female would have eaten him ages ago. Six managed to resist even at a moment where she had clearly heatedly wanted to. 

She whuffled his belly appreciatively. He squirmed at the ticklish sensation, and laughed. 

“You really are,” he mused, mostly to himself, stroking her cheek.

A claw poked his arm: Mono jumped. Oh. She was looking at the scratch that she’d accidentally left. “It’s all right, really,” he reassured her, tugging her hair playfully. “I’m the one who stuck my arm in your mouth, y'know.” 

She snickered, a noise akin to gravel getting pulverized, and he grinned up at her. “Maybe next time I’ll be more careful, huh?” 

She couldn't hide her interest at the notion of a _next time,_ and Mono swallowed down his own giddiness. So she had fun, too. It was easy enough to read from her expressions and behavior during their actions, but hearing that she wanted more after the fact had him delighted. 

Better not to get all riled again. She seemed to share that sentiment. She laid herself down beside him, stretched all her legs - Mono marveled at their sheer breadth - and, when he least expected it, scooped him up like a small doll. She then held him close to her chest.

Okay - well. Looked like he was sleeping here tonight. In the funnel with her; _held_ by her. Mono snuggled into her palm, practically vibrating from how _full_ he felt. How happy. Thoughts brimming with their mutual affection, he drifted off. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanna thank [Sp00py](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sp00py/pseuds/Sp00py) and [Zoloto](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zoloto/pseuds/Zoloto) for reading this chapter (and in Spoopy's case, most of the story) prior to posting and assuring me it was not terrible, haha. Also gotta thank the reviewers, because I'm pretty sure the idea of Six being possessive / another female showing up somehow came from the comments/discussion in the comments and was not my invention. 
> 
> Also, please check out the absolutely amazing works of art inspired by the story:
> 
> By eljesala [here](https://eljesala.tumblr.com/post/644477324407046144/taunt-me-with-your-web-of-lies), [here](https://eljesala.tumblr.com/post/644378904793055232/arachnidsix-has-no), [here](https://eljesala.tumblr.com/post/644022306491023360/femalearachne-anatomy-practice-i-didnt-get-to), [here](https://eljesala.tumblr.com/post/643907946453008384/i-got-you-doceopercepto-i-a-m-s-o-f-t), aaaand [here](https://eljesala.tumblr.com/post/643807361712160768/guys-mono-shouldnt-be-this-tinybut-i). Oh and [here](https://eljesala.tumblr.com/post/643658007716200448/based-from-chapter-4-of-arachnid-by)
> 
> By dondon-deconcon, [here](https://dondon-deconcon.tumblr.com/post/644690763968593920/mono-i-promise-she-wont-eat) and [here](https://dondon-deconcon.tumblr.com/post/644618168781930496/damn-arachnid-six-really-said-get-a-load-of-this)
> 
> By amielot, [here](https://amielot.tumblr.com/post/644328004728832000/for-doceopercepto-you-are-free-to-do-whatever).
> 
> Thank you all! I did not expect such an outpouring of art and attention and I'm grateful you all enjoying the story so much.

Morning dawned, the sky a seashell pink. Mono yawned, and stretched. It was strange, at first, having no clothing rustling over his skin, no blanket covering him, nothing. A self consciousness he’d lacked the night before crept in, and he was hunching up in Six’s hand (she had held him all through the night!) when he noticed her kind gaze. Well. She’d already seen everything, anyway. No point in curling up.

“G’morning to you, too,” he said. Her head dipped down. Lips grazed his belly. “Six!” He squeaked and pushed gently at her face. He knew it was all in his head, but wherever she touched with her lips left a tingly sensation behind. 

She let out a gentle, rumbling noise. He couldn't decipher it, but it must speak of fondness, if her half lidded eyes and serene expression were anything to go by. 

Mono sighed. He petted down the bridge of her nose. It’d be nice, to stay like this forever. And they did, for a time, both of them investigating the other. Mono wound his fingers in her hair, and nuzzled it to his cheek. She rubbed her thumbs along his thighs and stomach. Everything felt hyper-sensitive, but was characterized by a sweetness that stayed safely away from the heat and yearning from the night before. 

They couldn't stay wrapped in each other forever, though. Six was the first to pull away. She let him slide out of her hand, ensuring his comfortable landing before she arched her back and stretched her legs out. Her eyes slipped closed to revel in a good stretch. Mono decided to take after her, and did the same. 

Unfortunately, this put on display the scratch Six had left on the back of his arm last night. 

Instantly her eyes were up close, and her hands pawing with concern. 

“It’s fine,” Mono reassured, batting away her prying.

Six smushed her lips together unhappily.

“Six, I promise you. You get nearly eaten alive! Now I get a minuscule scratch and you’re fussing over me?”

She huffed. 

Mono crossed his arms. “None of that. I’m perfectly okay.”

After a cursory survey of his stance, Six rocked onto her back six legs, and poutily crossed the frontmost ones across her chest. 

Mono gasped in dramatic outrage. “Excuse me, is that an _attitude-“_

Six fought hard not to grin as she leaned back more and crossed the second set of limbs, for extra attitude. 

Worry broke through his amusement, “Six, don’t put that much weight on your back legs-“

She squealed at his perceived hypocrisy, slammed back down, and then flicked Mono right over. 

“Oof!” Luckily, the webbing made for an easy landing. He flipped onto his back and sulked up at her, before he couldn't maintain the illusion anymore and broke out laughing. “Okay, all right, point taken. But I promise, it’s just a scratch, look-“ 

Mono twisted his arm a little, showing the red line down his bicep for her scrutiny. “See?”

She frowned and peered and frowned some more, before retreating and grumbling. They’d been lucky: Six hadn’t intended on hurting him at all, but with how fast she’d moved away, the clipping of tooth to skin could have been way worse. He had to admit he still burned with curiosity and an odd desire to feel around in her mouth (yeah, he wasn’t going to think too hard about why), but it wasn’t worth distressing her, or nearly getting himself killed. Some territories would have to remain unexplored, so to speak.

Mono padded out of the funnel and into the daylight. A fresh, rich smell of Spring after rain was in the air. He took a deep, cherishing inhale. Unfortunately, the breeze hit him just wrong, and instead sent the reek of death and decay up his nostrils. 

Mono snorted out and covered his mouth. Ugh. A nighttime of rain did nothing good to the rotting bodies.

Six evidently had the same thought, wrinkling her nose. She went up and over the edge of her nest. Moments later, he glimpsed her putting her back into dragging away the first of the two corpses. Hmm. He’d told her to take it easy, and here she was, hauling something nearly as large as her. 

Oh - but she was using all eight limbs! Her two-fingered one must be feeling much better. Good. He’d begun to fear she’d never start using it again, and now that fear seemed overdramatic. After all, he’d only been in the nest a few days, not enough time to be making assessments about her recovery in the long run.

Well, he might as well make himself useful. Mono found his clothes crumpled in a pile in the back of the funnel. Still damp. He used a few old strands of silk to hang them up in the sun, where they’d dry far faster. Hopefully Six wouldn't mind. Next, he took the empty lighter and replaced the fluid in it. Click, _fwoom_. Good. She’d be pleased to have her fire back. The lighter he neatly set beside her music box (he gave the metal box a little pat as he went, grateful that Six had enjoyed the gift so much). 

Next he considered the blood splatters where he’d tended to her. Should he clean those up? The bundle of web he’d have to wrap up and remove would end up larger than he was… Anyway, he’d already caused enough potential offense by taking some old strands of web for his clothes. Best to leave this to Six. 

Nor was he brave enough to set out for his traps without a single stitch of clothing on, so instead he sat upon the edge of the nest and nibbled on his stash of nuts and dried fruits. The morning sun bathed the distant tree tops in a surreal glow, burning away the fog laying heavy in the forest.

Six emerged from the treeline, a yellow mass in the distance growing larger. He studied her gait intently, hunting for any sign that he ought to come running out and demand she rest. She certainly wasn’t walking _normally_ yet. It might take awhile for that. But she looked more comfortable and even-footed. She must’ve sorely missed using that eighth leg. 

Six crept upon the second corpse at the rim of her nest. Her teeth bit into one curled crusty leg, and tugged. With an unpleasant _crck_ , the leg ripped right off. Mono choked around his cranberries. Huffy, Six spat out the leg, and bit into the side. Success, this time. Off she went, spidering backwards towards the forest with the corpse in tow. Phew. Remind him not to go into that part of the forest. Thankfully, it was opposite the creek and his traps. The bodies could just… quietly rot over there, a good few miles from anything they ever did. 

While Mono sipped from his canteen and munched on his snacks, he contemplated Six’s actions. Competition must be common, particularly around this time of the year. Six had quite the advantageous spot here, the forest as her front yard, both fresh and salt water within walking distance (at least, if you were monster, and had the requisite lengthy stride). He could see why the place would be so desired.

Soft thuds announced Six’s approach behind him. Funny: he had expected to see her yellow coat come back out from the woods to his left. She must have taken a loop. _Oh_ \- maybe she planned on playfully surprising him. Well, not today! He’d caught her in the act. Mono twisted around, a sly grin at his lips. 

“Six, you-“ 

The words died. His grin dropped, and all the color left his face. 

Emerald eyes gleamed from beneath a ratty forest-green cloak. Pale hair stuck out in choppy clumps from under her hood. Many legs froze, mid-creep.

Mono didn’t breathe. A rival female. She was mere feet away. Much smaller than Six, and emaciated, but that would matter very little against him.

Her feral, hungry gaze swept over the entirety of the nest, taking in the music box, the backpack, and the clothes fluttering in the wind. All evidence of a male’s occupation. In her mind, a male would never be cohabiting with a female. As far as she knew, the nest was up for grabs, and Mono was the only thing standing in her way. Shit, _shit._

Mono swallowed hard, and pulled himself onto unsteady feet. “Hah… look, I-I promise th-there’s already someone here-“

Her eyes settled upon him. The only obstacle, and a nice meal to fill her stomach. Her thin lips parted. Salivating, she crawled forward. There was no debate about how this would go. Mono knew that. She knew that. 

“Please,” he wheezed hoarsely. What did compromise mean to her, over a creature like him? But he didn’t want to die. He wanted to keep living, keep experiencing all the things he loved. Six - 

Oh, Six. She’d be so unhappy. Mono’s breath hitched. “P-Please,” he begged, weak-kneed. “D-don’t kill me. I-I can leave, I can-“

She lunged. At the same moment, something yellow flew over Mono’s head. The two forces collided with a painful organic _thud,_ and chaos erupted. Fists grappled, teeth snapped, claws scoured. They seized upon each other and raised up on their four hind limbs, each battling to topple the other, while Mono backed between Six’s hind legs in terror. It was impossible to see exactly what was happening, all a flurry of limbs, flashing sunbeam and shadow. Feet stomped around him, and he only trembled.

The balance of the fight tipped swiftly, Six’s greater bulk overpowering, even despite her injuries. The other female was forced nearly vertical onto two legs, and then she wasn’t trying to shove Six down anymore; instead, she was clinging to Six’s limbs for dear life. The precarious position didn’t last long. She overbalanced and crashed onto her back while Six surged over her, snarling wetly. The other emitted a strangled screech like nails on a chalkboard and Mono clamped his hands over his ears. “Stop-“ he cried, drowned out beneath their respective sounds.

With a mad struggle of twisting and scrambling, the green-clad female flipped onto her stomach and skittered, kicking away Six, over the side of the nest. Six lunged in pursuit, until - 

“STOP!” Six skidded to a halt, leaning over the nest edge. She watched, teeth bared, as the other female shot at a breakneck pace back into the woods, and disappeared. Six didn’t follow. She had listened. 

Mono bent double, focusing on breathing. Holy shit. Dizzily he processed the fact that, without Six’s intervention, he wouldn't be walking on this earth anymore. Not to mention if that female had been closer to Six’s size, or less malnourished… 

“Ah!” Mono squeaked when suddenly Six was there, scooping him up into two hands and raising him eye-level. Fingers prodded at his body, eyes narrowed in focused inquiry. 

“I’m okay, it’s okay, I’m not hurt-“

Six didn’t stop searching until she was utterly satisfied he’d come out from the incident unharmed.

“You didn’t even give her a chance,” Mono assured her.

Six preened, and showed off her rows of teeth in some kind of gesture that Mono didn’t quite recognize. A smile, but not really. He interpreted it as a good thing, whatever it was. 

He turned his gaze towards the forest. “I hope she’ll do alright,” he murmured thoughtfully. 

A growl started in Six’s throat. 

“Relax,” Mono rubbed her palm. “There’s only one _you_ , Six. Just… she wasn’t doing well. She was only looking for a home. I hope she makes it.”

Six made a low, disapproving noise.

“Well, she won’t be coming back either way,” Mono remarked. “Not after that.” He then laughed, half disbelieving. Six really had just protected him, hadn’t she? He flopped back in her hand, sighing. “I don’t know about you, but I need a long day to just take it easy.” 

He was in luck. The day shaped up to be warm and breezy, and it was hardly past afternoon before his clothes were dry enough to slip back on. No other females came to steal, nor males to seduce, and Mono and Six were allowed many hours to lounge together. 

It all felt like a dream. Like stepping outside of reality. He didn’t have to worry about her wounds, or a storm, didn’t have to worry about needing supplies, or dealing with unwelcome guests. There was nothing, but for the vast expanse of the forest, the lavender sky, and Six. 

They traveled together for food and water; at the creek, Six initiated a splashing game which was absolutely juvenile, but that Mono walked out of wearing an infectious grin. 

“I’m going to have to dry my clothes, _again_ ,” he griped at her, arms flailing in emphasis. 

The look she shot him was one very much _not_ juvenile and he choked on his spit. 

“That’s - that’s inappropriate- scandalous- this was a devious plot!” 

She pounced on him before they made it back, and Mono didn’t care one lick about the rocky moss littered ground under him when she began messily tugging his clothes off. Soon bare skin was on bare skin again, and he couldn't get enough of touching her face, she of touching all over him. 

The whole time, she had her hips dipped low: the sort of position a female would take to signal she was ready for mating. But she never guided him back, and he never went, much as he ached to. It was better, he found, to leave things unfinished and longing, when the alternative meant an almost certain separation. 

It was hypnotizing enough anyway, getting to touch all over her, and every moment being in awe of her. Thinking, _nobody else has gotten to do this before._

They only peeled away from each other when Mono’s hips were rolling inadvertently, and her cheeks and throat were flushed rose red. Her eyes tracked him hungrily as he clambered up and steadied his breathing.

“That was your fault. I’m blaming that on you,” Mono declared.

She flicked her hair and assumed the most arrogant pose an eight legged many-jointed beast could manage, which was very arrogant indeed. 

“But if you were to do it again,” Mono continued, “Just saying, I really wouldn’t mind - hey!”

She’d snatched her clothes and made a beeline for the nest. She may have imagined a much more dramatic chase. As it was, she disappeared in two seconds while Mono ran after howling at the top of his lungs. She had to return meekly, and adjusted her escape into a slow walk instead. With the playing field thus evened, Mono was able to catch up, and he wrapped himself around her ankle with the threat, “I’m not leaving until you give my clothes back!” 

In this way, they made it back to the nest.

Afterwards (fully dressed), he got to try out the new seashell comb, and it smoothed through Six’s locks far better than his fingers had: although, of course, he couldn't resist stroking the strands himself, too. Six dozed under the attention. 

This was how they wiled away the afternoon. For the evening, Six brought in a pile of dirt, which he helped spread into a circle. In the center he constructed a campfire, showing Six just the right way to stack the sticks for the best airflow and success, as well as which twigs and needles made for good kindling. She watched intently, her fascination appearing once more.

“Just don’t make a fire in the funnel, alright?” He told her.

Come night, they were gathered around the flame. Six listened to the music box, swaying rhythmically, while its melody drifted out over the forest. Mono couldn't helping joining in with a song, although he had to admit he was an even worse singer than craftsman. Mostly, he hummed and sang notes without words, since it was too hard conjuring up lyrics on the spot. She didn’t seem to mind. 

The fire was burning bright on its own, and the night dark, when a strange thought crept across Mono’s mind. 

“Six, I have… a weird question.”

She tilted her head. 

“Would you… I mean, only if you were comfortable. If you were okay.” He twisted his fingers together. 

She waited patiently.

“Maybe would you lay on your back, and I could pet your stomach?”

Her brows lifted.

“I know it’s a weird question,” Mono said quietly. “I’ve just… been thinking about touching you more, only…” he rubbed the back of his neck abashedly. “It’s kind of hard to imagine doing it while I’m clinging to your underside.”

Six rasped one sharp laugh, eyes crinkling. So she got a pretty good mental image of that, too, eh. She probably didn’t have to try too hard to imagine it: when he’d first mated, that was precisely what he’d done. 

Mono laughed, too, lightly. It didn’t feel weird, all the sudden, that he’d asked. Even if she said no, even if she had no interest, then he at least felt comfortable airing his thoughts. In fact, he interpreted her response as disinterest, and was just leaning back against her leg when she stood up. 

“Huh-?”

Six drifted to her funnel’s overhang. She swung her head back and forth, considering the space available. Wait… was she going to try to flip over?

The suggestion had sounded intimate and sweet, but given how much thought Six was putting into the arrangement, Mono suddenly worried. “You’ll be able to get back up again, right?”

She nodded absent-mindedly. Had she ever been on her back before? Supine was the position she’d forced the other female into: that female had gotten up okay, but the fact that was the only time Mono had seen such a thing was very telling about what that pose might typically indicate. Had he asked something bad? No… If she took it negatively, she wouldn't do it. He trusted that. 

With hesitant steps, Six climbed up the wall of her funnel, and then clung to the ceiling, contemplating the ground below. 

“You don’t have to-“ Mono reminded her, just in case, but already long limbs were descending, feeling out how she’d come down.

Six carefully lowered herself until she was reclining fully on her back. Then she was there, eight legs awkwardly curled and sticking out at strange angles. Mono bit back on a laugh. He hadn’t meant to find it amusing, only this was clearly an unnatural pose, and he hadn’t anticipated how bizarre the sight would be. It corroborated the idea that monsters weren’t typically in this position to begin with. Which… said a lot about her willingness to try it.

Mono’s mouth went dry at the implications. Amusement folded into tender affection, and his eyes drifted from the thighs peeking out from under the hem of her coat, and the torso well hidden by the same fabric. The fire highlighted the curves and lines of her body in preternatural light. Her eyes glinted.

She looked otherworldly. A monster in the dark, but sensual and calm and dangerous, even in its vulnerability. 

Mono swallowed his nerves. Every new step in their intimacy inevitably had him slightly uneasy, like a part of him mentally transported to when he’d approached her for the very first time, terrified that she’d devour him whole. She wasn’t going to, though. No, she’d already shown she’d go to great lengths to stop herself from doing that. To protect him, even.

Mono crossed the distance between them like a man approaching an altar. The air was heavy and intense - at least until Six unexpectedly scooped under his butt, lifted him yelping into the air, and then spilled him on top of her. 

“You know, I had a mood going,” he told her.

She grinned. Mischievous, as always. Shaking his head and falling to contain his smile, he rearranged himself until he was sitting on her stomach. Every rise and fall of breath had him, too, lifting and descending. Mono reminded himself to be careful. Not only did he want this to be a positive experience for her, but also, any stray hand could send him flying if she startled. 

He knew very well what he wanted to do: he wanted to see more of her, if she’d permit it.

Shaking fingers worked open the bottom button of her coat. Then the next. The next. As he worked his way up, the fabric fell open, revealing a vast expanse of pale, smooth skin. Mono breathlessly splayed his hands over her belly. He could feel her heartbeat. Steady, powerful, slow. Trusting. 

“You’re incredible,” he whispered, very unintentionally, but he didn’t regret it. Six purred. The noise vibrated through her stomach, and Mono shivered. He inched up, parting her coat more and more, revealing ribs that stuck out from her skin. She was too thin… still recovering from the attack. He’d see to that. 

There went another button. His hands slipped under her coat, and over a large mound of flesh. 

Six hissed, and this one wasn’t friendly. Okay, nope, not there then. Message received. 

Hurriedly, Mono retreated back to her stomach. Something for another day, or never, dependingupon her desires. He was more than glad to content himself with what she’d so far offered, which… his eyes flicked to her hind legs thoughtfully. 

The outside of Six’s thigh was warmly lit by the fire, but the insides of her thighs were shadowed. Her abdomen curved down invitingly, reminding him of the wet heat he’d once before felt. 

A pulse of powerful desire trembled through him. It called back to his biological imperative. Mate. Mate, and run before she could decide his body’s nutrients were better served fueling the creation of offspring. Nothing else was more important.

He had the sense of mind to know that wasn’t true. Not anymore, if it had ever been. Right now, he wanted to pursue a far different goal. He wanted to make Six feel amazing. That yearning rocked through him, stronger even the inherent urge to mate. She deserved to enjoy herself.

He didn’t know how, exactly. He’d never done it. But he would learn. Now came the challenge - positioning himself on the slight slant down without up and falling between her legs. Mono pressed himself low, belly to her abdomen, marveling at the pliant flesh beneath him. This seemed stable enough. 

Down his hands reached. Through a tangle of dark, thick hair. Mono didn’t know what he was looking for. He petted her at first, and then combed his fingers through her hair - it wasn’t as fine, but he didn’t mind the coarseness, either. No reaction from Six. 

He tossed a peek over his shoulder, to find her blinking at him with mild interest. 

All right. Deep breath. Mono reached further, stretching his arms all the way out, patting along. Hair, more hair, then - something insanely soft. 

Six’s hips jumped. Based on the squawk that came from her throat, she’d been expecting it no more than him. Okay. That. _That_ was what he’d been looking for. He slung another look back. Six’s eyes were keen on him. So keen, in fact, that if he didn’t know better he’d suspect she wanted him for dinner. 

He couldn't return to the same spot fast enough. As soon as he did, his palm set to rubbing in a circle as he memorized its sensation; large (well, everything about her was), yet yielding. It felt warmer than the rest of her, and far softer. 

Rearing up on either side of him, Six’s thighs clenched and relaxed. They repeated this in sync with every butterfly touch; watching the muscles shift beneath her skin was breathtaking. 

He fluttered his fingers, unabashedly admiring the sheer strength she demonstrated in every small, eager movement. 

This went on for several minutes, long enough for Mono to wonder if he wasn’t doing something wrong. Six seemed to like it, and hadn’t stopped him, but neither had her reactions escalated. A third glance back. Her eyes were closed, her expression blissful. Hmm. So in the right ballpark, maybe, just… something had to be changed. 

Wiggling himself lower, Mono transitioned into a deeper, quicker rubbing with the heels of his palms. Now that - _that_ was far more effective. He heard a sharp whistle of air through teeth, and very much of their own accord, Six’s hips jolted up, nearly dislodging Mono.

He grabbed whatever he could - which was her hair - to keep himself stable, and Six yipped in offense at the tug on her follicles. 

“Sorry, sorry-“ he relinquished the grip as soon as she had settled. “Sorry,” he said, kinder this time, and patted her consolingly. She groused a few wordless complaints that quickly petered out. He got the sense she didn’t want to whine too much lest he think better of his current task. She had nothing to worry about. 

“So that’s the trick, huh?” He asked. “Feels good there?”

She chirruped so fast that it startled even him. 

“Okay, Six, okay, I got you-“ He returned to kneading. Her low, throaty assent couldn't be a more obvious encouragement to continue. In a loving croon, Mono added quietly, “yeah, I got you. Whatever you need.” The words stimulated him as surely as it did her. They bolstered him, gave him confidence. This was all new territory; he knew he might not be very good at it, but… he was learning. And he was so happy to be learning with her, to make her feel good. 

He tried many different techniques, fast and slow, light and deep, until his arms and back were sore from the position and movements. He didn’t give up, and the persistence was rewarded. Little by little, her arousal built. Her abdomen tightened below him. Her hips quivered. 

He struck gold with a quick, back-and-forth skimming motion.

Six groaned and writhed. Huge hands struck the sides of her funnel hard and her claws punctured right in, like she was gripping for dear life. Her back arched, her hips rolled. Mono fought to keep himself balanced while simultaneously maintaining the pattern of motion. Sweat began to stand out on his skin. But he didn’t want to stop, he didn’t want to give in and leave her wanting. 

Due to her squirming, his hands once dipped inadvertently lower, and pulled back with warm slick on them. His own arousal throbbed, his thoughts almost dizzy with the desire to mate her. Not now. This was about her. 

Six’s breath came faster and faster.

Mono gritted his teeth and warred with his own sore body to keep up the pace - no, _quicken_ the pace. Every second he questioned whether he had the endurance for this, and every second blindly thought, _you have to, you have to._

Her ragged breath stopped. For half a second he thought, _oh gods, is she okay?_

Then the held breath rushed out in one heavy exhale, her whole body spasmed, and Mono clung tight to stop himself from being thrown off. 

“Watch the fire, watch the fire!” He squeaked, as it seemed like there was suddenly a great deal of arms in motion and Six had little regard for where they were going. 

Luckily, she didn’t send anything (including Mono) flying, and she didn’t end up with any hands in the fire, either. 

The waves of her orgasm settled, and then ceased. Phew. Mono wiped his brow, and gazed back at her. He didn’t expect the sight that hit his eyes. 

Her limbs splayed, limp and spent, haphazardly around her. A loose, silly sort of smile on her face. Her eyes lidded and sultry in her exhaustion. 

“You’re beautiful.” It slipped out before he could stop it. It was true, though. He’d thought it ever since he’d met her, and yet he’d never said it before.

She brushed a knuckle tenderly to his cheek. A big, satisfied sigh ruffled his hair. She looked like she could doze off at any minute. Heady as Mono had been moments ago, he already began to wishfully think of falling asleep on top of her.

Six had other plans, first. Just a little bit more energy in those dark eyes.

Suddenly her collapsed legs rose. All at once, he had two dozen or more razor thin claws descending up him and showering a litany of stroking upon his body. Mono sucked in a breath, freezing in place. Any wrong move and she could easily skewer him. But with him petrified, she had free rein to do as she pleased. Nails lavished along his shoulders, down his chest, along his arms; they dipped under his clothing, caressed his stomach and inner thighs with a ticklish sensation, and draped, clacking, over his calves. Nothing was left without her attention, not even his face (nails drifting dangerously close to his eyes), nor his groin, which she was especially delicate about, but not negligent over. 

They were _all_ over. Sensual, ticklish, terrifying. She was phenomenal at dividing her attention between six limbs, each bestowing its own meticulously managed pressure. 

“Six,” he breathed, faint with adoration. His breath hitched. He wouldn't last, not nearly as long as her - 

As if sensing that thought, the nails whisked away, replaced by one single hand which wrapped around him. Snug, warm, tingly to his hyper-sensitive flesh. The pad of her pointer finger began to rub over his groin. He gripped that finger for dear life, pathetically rolling his own hips and chasing the pressure, while she used another hand to tug down his pants. 

Inundated by her claws, and limited by biological practicality, he didn’t last a fraction of the time she had. 

Mono gasped out, hips rutting uncontrollably. His limbs went boneless and weak; he collapsed forward and wrapped his arms around Six’s thumb, humping until he was utterly spent. She withdrew the hand, and he collapsed onto all fours. 

She petted down his back, fondness in her eyes. Mono lifted his head in time to watch as she nonchalantly stuck the finger he’d spurted on into her mouth. It came back out without his cum. 

Mono swallowed. Ah. Okay. Wow. _Wow_. That sent such a heady throb through him that he wondered if he couldn’t go a second time. But his body was sore, his mind tired. The fire was dwindling to embers, setting a low glow upon them. 

Much as Mono wanted to doze off laying on top of her, he was wholly sympathetic when she set him aside and flipped back around to her belly. The rival female must’ve been possessed by some serious motivation, because it took Six much longer to right herself around. Mono was simply glad he’d gotten to experience what he had, and took the chance to catch his breath, and touch his own skin. 

She’d been all over him. There was a phantom presence now, on his skin. Fresh shivers twitched to life, and pleasure flared intermittently. He was a sensitive, over-stimulated mess.

She, too, was still feeling the effects of their activities, based on the way she looked at him when she settled into a more comfortable sleeping position. Her eyes were hazy, her smile she couldn't seem to remove from her face. She looked at him like he was her world. He trembled under the look, awed and flattered. "Had fun?" he whispered, half teasing. 

Her hand swiped out, uprooted him, and tucked him up by her neck. Oh - well -

He was sleeping here tonight, it seemed, enveloped by her warmth and safety.


End file.
